Ashes of the Wake is the fourth studio album and first major label release by American metal band Lamb of God, released in 2004 via Epic Records. The album debuted at number 27 on the Billboard 200, selling 35,000 copies in its first week and was rated by Guitar World as the 49th greatest Guitar Album of all Time.[6] This album also was rated by Metal Hammer as the 5th greatest Metal Album of The 21st Century.  The album was inspired by the events that took place during the war in Iraq, with songs such as "Ashes of the Wake" (which includes snippets of former Marine Staff Sergeant Jimmy Massey in an interview after his return from the Iraq War), "Now You've Got Something to Die For", "One Gun" and "The Faded Line". The quote at the beginning of "Omerta" is a paraphrase of the Sicilian Mafia's code of silence.[8] As of August 2010, Ashes of the Wake has sold 398,000 copies in the United States.[9] Ten years after its release, as of 2014, sales have topped 400,000 copies sold and is Lamb of God’s best-selling record.[10] The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in February 2016.