Interviews

 

LAMB OF GOD

 

Strippers, alcoholism and depression. It’s just another day in the life of Lamb Of God, as vocalist RANDY BLYTHE tells ROD YATES.

 

In the accompanying film clip to Lamb Of God’s new single Redneck, the Virginian quintet can be seen lounging on a glistening, gargantuan tour bus, drinking beers and smoking pot while strippers gyrate in front of them. It looks like Sodom and Gomorrah on wheels, and is everything every aspiring muso dreams of when they first pick up an instrument and decide that rocking looks like a good business to pursue. If vocalist Randy Blythe is to be believed, life on the band’s tour bus isn’t that far removed from what’s portrayed in the video.

“I don’t know,” he chuckles, “there’s been strippers on the bus before, and there’s generally a lot of partying. We like to throw it down, so it’s actually pretty close to reality, I would say. We like to have a good time as a band.”

Not that Lamb Of God take what they do lightly. Having emerged as Burn The Priest 11 years ago and built their career to a point where each member has been able to ditch their jobs in the construction and restaurant industries (drummer Chris Adler was the only member with a “real” job in computing), the band are acutely aware of the importance of their just released new album, Sacrament. Not only is it being touted as having the potential to catapult them into the big league, but they also have to contend with magazines such as Revolver proclaiming that the metal community is watching their every move. Nothing like a bit of pressure, then…

 

“We don’t give a fuck who’s watching us,” spits Blythe. “We started this band to make music for ourselves, and that’s still what we do. If you start pandering to people’s desires and wishes and tastes, then you’re not being true to yourself.”

 

Still, it must be difficult to ignore expectations completely, particularly when your band has gone on record as stating that it can take up to a year for each member to actually agree on a song. Thankfully they’ve learned a few techniques to help minimise any in-studio stress.

 

“Over the last two records, it’s primarily just been me and the producer doing vocals,” starts Blythe. “I have to be left alone, and I think the others understand that now. I remember, our first two records, it was a fucking nightmare. There’s five dudes in the studio, they’ve already tracked their shit, we’re running out of time, the budget’s almost gone and they’re all like, ‘Hurry up, hurry up’, and having different ideas and I’m like, ‘Get the fuck off my back!’ It came to physical threats.

 

“Being in our band, it’s like being married to four other people and they’re all on the rag, all the time,” he continues with a laugh. “So if you’re trying to figure something out and someone’s yapping in your ear it’s like, ‘Fuck off! Leave me alone!’”

 

While Blythe admits that 2004’s Ashes Of The Wake was a relatively rushed affair due to their needing a new album before that year’s Ozzfest, this time the band got to spend as much time on Sacrament as they needed, resulting in their most relentless, brutal offering to date. It’s also their most personal, with Blythe foregoing the politicised nature of Ashes for songs about “women, depression and alcoholism”, the latter something he’s tried to address recently.

 

“I haven’t had a drink in two months,” he says. “Alcoholism leads to depression, and I was getting pretty out of control with my drinking.”

Can you define out of control?

“Eurgh…” he pauses. “A shit ton! You can put that down. One metric, Australian shit ton.”
When the band hit Australia in October for a tour with Killswitch Engage, Blythe will be occupying himself with a mission that should keep him out of the country’s bars – shopping for bullwhips.
“I’m going to spend a lot of money on bullwhips, cos they make the best ones in Australia,” he offers.

Er… why do you want one?

“Scaring annoying fans,” he laughs. “One of my career and life goals is to go to Japan and Australia, and I’m fucking stoked, I can’t wait.”

 

WHO: Lamb Of God
WHAT: Sacrament (Red Label)

 

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