VII: Sturm und Drang
by Lamb of God
  • Record Label: Epic
  • Release Date: Jul 24, 2015
Metascore
73

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
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  1. PopMatters
    Aug 18, 2015
    80
    The public’s appreciation for Sturm und Drang is genuine because the music is intelligent and authentic. Lamb of God is everything a metal band should be in 2015 and so, so much more.
  2. NOW Magazine
    Aug 6, 2015
    80
    The Richmond, Virginia, metal five-piece churn out their most extreme record in a long time.
  3. Kerrang!
    Jul 23, 2015
    80
    This is a record that seethes with fury. [25 Jul 2015, p.50]
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  5. Boston Globe
    Jul 23, 2015
    80
    Deftones frontman Cheno Moreno shows up on “Embers,” but sounds tame next to the recharged Blythe.
  6. Exclaim
    Jul 23, 2015
    80
    VII: Sturm und Drang is the album that almost wasn't, but it's worth celebrating for the album that it is: another solid addition to the Lamb of God catalogue.
  7. AllMusic
    Jul 23, 2015
    80
    The notions of conflict, turmoil, and regret are certainly well-worn staples of the genre, but with Sturm und Drang Lamb of God have accrued a significant amount of experience in all three, and have distilled those concepts into pure unfiltered adrenaline.
  8. The Guardian
    Jul 23, 2015
    80
    From the brooding dynamics of Overlord and Embers to the more expected savagery of Erase This and Delusion Pandemic, Lamb of God sound more focused than ever here, and thoroughly deserving of their status as one of metal’s biggest bands.
  9. Pitchfork
    Jul 27, 2015
    78
    The production is dense, thin, and minimal, the guitars and drums pushed tight to give all these lyrics extra oomph.
  10. musicOMH.com
    Jul 23, 2015
    70
    Yet, despite these slight missteps [Fear Machine and Delusion Pandemic], VII is a fine addition to what is already a solid musical canon.
  11. Mojo
    Aug 25, 2015
    60
    They may occasionally press autopilot but the unexpected sound of Blythe singing for the first time ever on Overlord proves their willingness to suppress a few decibels for the sake of progress. It suits them. [Oct 2015, p.90]
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  12. Rolling Stone
    Jul 29, 2015
    60
    Although there's plenty of Lamb of God's trademark guitar chug and Olympics-level drumming, the eerier moments (see the jailhouse tale "512") and unexpected guests (including members of Deftones and the Dillinger Escape Plan) show a group that's thirsty to evolve beyond its own established patterns.
  13. Record Collector
    Jul 23, 2015
    60
    Musically, the Virginians deliver a thrash/groove metal brew broadly similar to that of their previous albums, but that’s not to say there isn’t a wide range of textures, from all-out blasts to subtle acoustic tones.
  14. Slant Magazine
    Jul 23, 2015
    60
    For all its, well, sturm und drang, the bulk of Lamb of God's latest is pretty formulaic.
  15. The A.V. Club
    Jul 24, 2015
    42
    A generic album.

User Reviews

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User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 29 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 29
  3. Negative: 0 out of 29
  1. SolInvicta
    Jul 29, 2015
    8
    Their best album since Ashes of the Wake. Everyone in the band is in top form, especially Randy Blythe delivering possibly the most gutTheir best album since Ashes of the Wake. Everyone in the band is in top form, especially Randy Blythe delivering possibly the most gut wrenching performance of his career.… Full Review »
  2. dminyard92
    Oct 22, 2022
    8
    I had first heard of Lamb of God in the early/mid 2000's from a few of their popular songs: Ruin, Laid to Rest, and Walk with Me in Hell. TheI had first heard of Lamb of God in the early/mid 2000's from a few of their popular songs: Ruin, Laid to Rest, and Walk with Me in Hell. The only album that was good in it's entirety in my opinion was "Sacrament" (2006) up to this point. I decided to give this band another chance even though I hadn't been impressed with Wrath (2009) or Resolution (2012), because I heard their new album (VII: Sturm Und Drang) was a massive improvement over its immediate predecessors.… Full Review »
  3. Andremax
    Jul 16, 2018
    8
    A touch of melodic has made very well to LOG as listened here, but not abandoning the characteristic band's aggressiveness.
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