As the Palaces Burn

US heavy metal band Lamb of God is no supergroup, but the quintet from Richmond, Virginia, has been together since the late 1990s and attract a loyal following, as evidenced by this watchable fly-on-the-wall documentary. However, before non-metalheads run for the hills, there's more to director Don Argott's film than just ear-splitting riffs, incoherent vocals and rock 'n' roll misbehaviour. Indeed, it's soon apparent that the band has put its bad-boy days behind it, particularly singer Randy Blythe, who's now clean, sober and ready to rock after years of alcoholic excess. Initially the film chronicles preparations for the 2012 tour and there are revealing interviews with avid fans in Colombia and India, but events take a severe turn for the unexpected when Blythe is arrested in Prague for the death of a teenager at a concert two years earlier. A real-life courtroom drama then ensues, which could see the singer jailed if found guilty of manslaughter. Here's where the story becomes genuinely intriguing and more serious issues than rock music take centre stage as the shell-shocked Blythe battles to prove his innocence. The cinema release also includes a post-credits interview with the band.