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Lamb of God & Mastodon
The following description was submitted by the event organizer.
A linchpin of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal movement with an uncompromising approach that garnered both respect and sales, Richmond, Virginia's Lamb of God started out using a more inauspicious name. Employing a versatile blend of metalcore, thrash, punk, sludge, and groove-laden death metal, the band issued an eponymous full-length outing under the moniker Burn the Priest before changing their name in 1999 to avoid being mistaken for a Satanic metal outfit. Lamb of God have released a string of high-profile studio albums and enjoyed tremendous commercial success with gold-selling outings like Ashes of the Wake and Sacrament. Between 2000 and 2022, the group carved out a notable swath of sonic real estate, selling millions of records and landing multiple Grammy nominations without ever compromising their sound.
Atlanta's Mastodon are one of the most original and influential American metal bands to appear in the 21st century. Their wide-angle progressive approach encompasses stoner and sludge metal, punishing hardcore and metalcore, neo-psych, death metal, and more. The group's playing style incorporates technically complex guitar riffs, lyric hooks, long, melodic instrumental passages, and intricate, jazz-influenced drumming with syncopated time signatures. Their second album, 2004's Leviathan, was a concept offering based on Moby Dick, Herman Melville's iconic novel of whaling and obsession, and became the band's commercial breakthrough. The record is regarded critically as one of the most important albums in genre history. 2011's conceptual The Hunter reflected the band's embrace of prog; it channeled disparate influences ranging from King Crimson to Opeth. 2017's Emperor of Sand debuted inside the Top Ten and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Album — the single "Sultan's Curse" took one home for Best Metal Performance. Change and evolution (Mastodon's raison d'être) are as integral to their musical identity as their personnel. 2020 saw the issue of Medium Rarities, featuring live cuts, covers, and instrumentals. In 2021, Mastodon returned to proper studio recording with the double-length Hushed and Grim.