Lamb of God’s Mark Morton recently opened up about the band’s 2007 Grammy loss. He reflected on how their album ‘Sacrament’ was defeated by Slayer for Best Metal Performance in a candid discussion with Craig Reynolds.
The guitarist addressed questions about the Grammy competition. He shared his thoughts on losing to the legendary thrash metal band.
When asked about being “robbed” at the Grammys with ‘Sacrament’ and who won that year, Morton responded thoughtfully about the loss.
“I don’t know that we were robbed but that’s the one. I think Slayer won that year,” Morton said.
When pressed about which Slayer record took the award, Morton’s response revealed his mixed feelings about the situation.
“Exactly,” he laughed. “I love slayer. I love love love Slayer. I love Kerry [King], I love Tom. I love Slayer man.”
Morton went on to explain what made the loss particularly difficult to accept.
“I think it was not even I think it was like a live version of a song that had already been released but then it was Grammy available because it was released a different version, you know, one of those things. I could be wrong about that but probably not because that one stung,” he continued. “I was like, ‘Man.’ That was a big moment. ‘Redneck’ was a big thing maybe it’s dated now or maybe it sounds like a time gone past or whatever you know what I mean.”
The 2007 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance ultimately went to Slayer’s ‘Eyes of the Insane.’ This defeated Lamb of God’s breakthrough album ‘Sacrament.’
Morton’s disappointment becomes more understandable when considering the commercial and critical success that ‘Sacrament’ achieved for the band.
Gimme Metal reported that the album debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 charts with first-week sales of 63,000 copies. This made it the top-selling heavy metal release of that week. This marked a significant milestone for Lamb of God, representing their highest chart position at the time. It established them as a major force in modern metal.
The album’s success extended far beyond its initial release. Wikipedia noted that ‘Sacrament’ sold over 331,000 copies in the United States alone. The album was eventually certified Gold by the RIAA on September 27, 2019. This certification came more than a decade after the album’s release. It demonstrated the album’s lasting impact and continued sales momentum.
‘Sacrament’ also earned Lamb of God their first Grammy nomination, specifically for the track “Redneck” that Morton referenced in his comments. Best Selling Albums indicated that the album became Lamb of God’s best-selling release. It contributed to the band’s total sales of over 1,220,000 albums worldwide, including 1,000,000 in the United States.
The Grammy loss to Slayer’s ‘Eyes of the Insane’ represented more than just an award ceremony disappointment for Morton and his bandmates. It was a moment when their breakthrough album, which had achieved both commercial success and critical acclaim, was overshadowed by a veteran act’s live recording. This made the defeat particularly difficult to accept for the rising metal stars.
