Super groups or albums with multiple guests rarely work – that recent Metal Allegiance eloquently proved my point. However, expectations for Mark Morton’s first solo album were high, because whenever Lamb of God experimented with different styles, they produced some of their best material; be it symphonic powerhouse ‘King Me’ or brooding epic ‘Overlord’.
Unfortunately, ‘Anesthetic’ is an album that failed because of either a compromise to keep everyone happy or an conscious effort to attain some middle ground. The record’s ten songs are divided between truly interesting moments, such as ‘Axis’, with the great Mark Lanegan on vocals, and mediocre Lamb of God b-sides, with Randy Blythe himself singing, or Chuck Billy for example, that drag the whole thing down.
If next time Morton dares to go on with his country and grunge interests, since he already has Lamb of God for the heavier stuff anyway, the record will probably turn out much better.
