As The Palaces Burn takes an unflinching look at the events and attitudes that resulted from the 9/11 terrorist attacks on American soil. Songs like "Blood Junkie" are unequivocal in their condemnation of George W. Bush and his administration's jingoist stance. "Retribution or vengeance in matters not, as long as the pig stays on top of the ladder of bone his father has built," Randy Blythe howls for all to hear. It's courageous and blunt, a statement for the time, and one that the band felt compelled to make. "We all lived through that time and we had the vehicle to express those opinions," says drummer Chris Adler. "I think it would have been irresponsible to not speak our minds."

Josh Wilbur (who has worked with Lamb of God as both an engineer and producer since 2006) was careful to conserve the album's lightning-in-a-bottle energy. "A lot of people, including myself, love the original," Wilbur says. "The whole point was just to do a more 'hi-fi' version of an already great record and not to damage the killer vibe that Devin Townsend and the band had captured...Real musicians sweating it out in a studio in Virginia over a decade ago."

The DVD disc includes a full length documentary.