Burn the Priest was formed in late 1994 in Richmond, VA, by founding members Chris Adler, John Campbell, Matt Conner and Mark Morton. Originally an instrumental group, the band's early shows consisted mainly of basement, garage and warehouse parties. Conner and Morton soon left and were replaced by guitarist Abe Spear. Vocalist Randy Blythe joined and the band began playing clubs around Richmond. Over the next few years, Burn the Priest began performing outside of their hometown and quickly developed a loyal following in the underground Philadelphia punk/hardcore/metal scene. During the same time period, Burn The Priest recorded two split 7" records with the groups Agents Of Satan and Zed. Both are out of print and are now considered collectors items. Guitarist Mark Morton returned from a two year absence, and Burn the Priest continued to spread it's unique blend of thrash, death, doom, grind and punk up and down the east coast and as far west as Wisconsin. Sharing the stage with the likes of EyeHateGod, Today Is the Day, Soilent Green, Brutal Truth and Coalesce, the band's popularity continued to grow, bolstered by a reputation for shows that were nothing short of dangerous. Burn The Priest began to receive national notoriety when a blistering performance at the 1997 Milwaukee Metal Fest gained the attention of a Metal Maniacs writer who included them in the magazine's review of the event. Shortly after, the group recorded it's first and only full length release, a self titled CD on the independent Legion records. Years later, the album would be remixed, remastered and re-released by Epic Records. Sporadic touring continued and in 1999 departing guitarist Abe Spear was replaced by Willie Adler. Shortly after, seeking a more serious moniker to reflect their renewed focus, Burn the Priest changed it's name to Lamb Of God and signed to Prosthetic Records. Lamb Of God went on to huge success and continues to be one of modern metal's leading acts.
