Music is more than just entertainment. For many people it is a form of expression, it is a way to escape, and it is a lifestyle. Don Argott's As The Palaces Burn documentary was initially due to explore this idea, following die-hard Lamb Of God fans all over the globe.
The first half of the film essentially sticks to that premise. Footage quickly brings the viewer up to speed with the monolithic success Lamb Of God have enjoyed in recent years, with some incendiary live snippets and brief interview clips with the band. Oderus Urungus of GWAR offers a blunt insight, saying: “Lamb Of God used to open for us. That doesn't happen any more...”
The camera then focuses on the Lamb Of God faithful. A Colombian taxi driver feels like he sometimes “wants to get a machete and cut people's heads off”, but the music gets him through the day. An Indian girl is an outcast in her own country.
Her tattoos and musical taste bar her from mainstream society, yet she finds comfort in the Virginian quintet's lyrics. She is also one of two female metal vocalists in India. Two.
This leads on to the tragic second half, which deals with vocalist Randy Blythe’s arrest and trial on manslaughter charges following the death of a fan, Daniel Nosek, at a show in the Czech Republic. It is, quite frankly, one of the most candid, raw pieces of cinema you’ll come across.
As events snowball, emotions run high. Guitarist Willie Adler embraces Blythe upon his release and tells him: “This is the best day ever.” When Blythe's translator tells him what Nosek’s family have gone through, he winces as he hears the details.
Upon his acquittal, the look on the man's face is something that words cannot describe. It isn't joy. It isn't relief. It's nothing. 'As The Palaces Burn' is an awe-inspiring, heart-wrenching document of five men, their craft, and the grace and compassion with which they face adversity.
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