Article By: Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway
Lamb Of God, using their pre-L.O.G. alias BURN THE PRIEST, announced they were going to release an album of new recordings last month [read HERE].
The new album is to be a collection of cover songs, ones originating from bands that have been highly influential on the BTP / LOG band members. Titled ‘Legion: XX‘ to commemorate the band’s 20th anniversary, the set will arrive from Epic Records on May 18.
Today, BURN THE PRIEST shares their rendition of the classic track “Kerosene” from Illinois’ essential punk icons, Big Black. Vocalist Randy Blythe comments on the song, saying:
“Big Black is a very important band to me. When I was 12 and first listening to punk rock, I thought all punk came from England – but then through skating, I got into Black Flag and Bad Brains. I soon discovered this super-smart American punk rock – very caustic, and deeply sardonic about the murky side of the human experience. That got me into Steve Albini’s future bands Shellac and Rapeman – and all the noisy smart punk rock on labels like AmRep and Touch & Go. ‘Kerosene’ was one of their biggest songs, if they even had one. It speaks to small-town boredom.“
The song fits right into the new record’s “influential and important” theme as BURN THE PRIEST tackles punk, hardcore, metal, and sludge tracks from the likes of Bad Brains, Agnostic Front, the Cro-Mags, S.O.D., Melvins, Quicksand, and more.
Guitarist Mark Morton continues:
“Our inauspicious beginnings somehow grew into something none of us had ever even imagined possible, let alone aspired to, however, this is the story of Burn the Priest. The songs we chose to cover on this album reflect that story. They are touchstones from that point in time. The inspiration we gleaned from these bands and these songs carries through our work and our creative pursuits, even to this day. Many thanks to these bands for lighting our fire and endless gratitude to our fans around the world for keeping it lit.”
BURN THE PRIEST ‘Legion: XX‘ will be unleashed from Epic Records on May 18th but you can grab pre-orders and merch bundles now at THIS LOCATION.
