lamb of god
LAMB OF GOD’s CHRIS ADLER: ‘We’re All Very Proud’ Of RANDY BLYTHE
Bryan Reesman of GRAMMY.com recently conducted an interview with drummer Chris Adler of Richmond, Virginia metallers LAMB OF GOD. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
GRAMMY.com: You officially stopped doing the "wall of death" at concerts about 10 years ago after you saw a couple of fans backstage who had been injured during the frenzied moshing. But it's still going on at shows, even if [LAMB OF GOD singer] Randy Blythe isn't encouraging it. Have you gotten to the point where you need to tell fans that they could hurt people?
Adler: It's hard because this is where we came from and [what we] grew up doing. We realize it's very much a part of the show, but there is obviously some shared responsibility that we take as providing the soundtrack to whatever it is that's going on. Nowadays, it does change up a little bit. Randy does say, "I'm not going to preach to you, but we're all here for the same reasons." If you see somebody fall down or see somebody doing something unsafe, help each other out. Let's all get through this and have a good time together. It's very different than [turning] around and [punching] the guy next to you. At the same time, we're not going to tell people to go get some chocolate milk and sit down.
GRAMMY.com: After the incident in Prague, what was it like being in that kind of twilight zone when you thought your career was almost done?
Adler: I think we all have that idea in the back of our mind all the time, whether somebody quits or our audience is done with us or we've lost our relevance or whatever. Nothing lasts forever, and we're lucky we've gotten this far. It wasn't the first time we thought about it, but it was certainly the first time it was in our face. There was no way we were going to continue the band if Randy had gone to jail. It was very daunting to think that we were going to fill out applications at Barnes & Noble or set up some kind of LAMB OF GOD smoothie shop. We didn't know what we were going to do, but I think everybody was fine-tuning their B-plan a little bit during that time. It was very scary.
GRAMMY.com: This court case has had a strong financial impact on the band. What does that mean moving forward for LAMB OF GOD?
Adler: We've been very smart with our business model in that as we make money on tour, which is basically the only way we make money, we don't necessarily divvy it all up. We put some in savings for a rainy day, and this was a very fucking rainy day. It did pretty much wipe out that fund. No one had to sell their house or anything like that, but we also had to borrow from the next record fund to get through this.
GRAMMY.com: How has Randy Blythe been doing?
Adler: He's doing great. He's been sober now for over three years, and thank God he was sober when this situation happened. He's really pulled himself together. He's a remarkable guy, and we're all very proud of him going over and handling it the way he did, but at the same time this was not the film we wanted to make. This was a total fucking nightmare. … The guy spent a lot of time in jail and was on trial where he easily could've been sentenced to 10 years. The bottom line is that a fan of our band died, and it's hard to say whose fault that was, but it's still a very tragic situation and this nightmare that none of us can really wake up from. Randy obviously being the guy on trial for it, it's his nightmare every day.
Read the entire interview
LAMB OF GOD’s CHRIS ADLER Talks To ARTISAN NEWS About ‘As The Palaces Burn’ Feature Film (Video)
Drummer Chris Adler of Richmond, Virginia metallers LAMB OF GOD recently spoke to Artisan News about the band's feature documentary film "As The Palaces Burn". You can watch the report below.
LAMB OF GOD entered into a worldwide distribution deal with Specticast (LED ZEPPELIN's "Celebration Day", Paul McCartney's "Rock Show") for their Don Argott-directed ("Last Days Here", "Art Of The Steal", "School Of Rock") feature film "As The Palaces Burn". Filming for the movie began in 2012 and concluded in March of 2013.
"As The Palaces Burn", which should not be confused with the making-of documentary packaged with the recent re-release of the 2003 LAMB OF GOD album of the same name, was conceived to be a documentary focused on the power of music and its impact on cultures around the world and its ability to bring together people of all nationalities regardless of religious or political differences. After a worldwide casting call, filming took place in Colombia, Venezuela, Israel, India, and the United States. As filming reached its conclusion, the documentary was forced to take a major turn when the band's lead singer, Randy Blythe, was arrested in the Czech Republic and charged with the murder of a fan in June 2012. Granted unique access to Blythe's saga, Argott's filming covered Blythe's 38-day imprisonment in Prague, his release and the band's return to live performances, and finally Blythe's trial for murder in Prague in February 2013.
Explained Blythe: "On June 27, 2012 my band flew from Norway to the Czech Republic to play a show. Upon landing in Prague, we were met at the end of the jetway by five masked and heavily armed large men in body armor, along with four plainclothes detectives. To the immense surprise of my bandmates and myself, I was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter concerning the death of a LAMB OF GOD fan.
"We had played Prague two years previously, and unbeknownst to any of us, a young man had sustained an injury to the head during our show, dying a month later. The police said that I was the cause of that injury. I was promptly incarcerated and spent the next thirty-seven days in a 123-year-old crumbling prison on the outskirts of Prague.
"After a long and complex process during which my band had to borrow almost half a million bucks, I was released on bail and returned to the United States. Instead of hiding like a coward in the U.S., safe from extradition (the U.S. government had refused to cooperate with the Czechs after they requested assistance in investigating me immediately after the young man died. My government also did not deem it necessary to inform me that I was a wanted man in a foreign country. Your tax dollars at work.), I returned to Prague in early 2013 to stand trial. I did this for several reasons, first and foremost being I felt the family of this young man deserved some answers, and I was the only one who could provide them. I felt it unethical to hide from my problems while they grieved the loss of their son. As the father of a dead daughter, I understood their pain in a very visceral way. I had tried to hide from my problems for over twenty years by crawling into a bottle. I do not live that way anymore, so to hide from this would have been intolerable for me. I believe it would have lead me back to the drink, and from there, I would have surely died.
"On March 5, 2013, I was found not guilty and acquitted of all charges. I have remained a free man every since."
LAMB OF GOD Frontman Launches Blog For ‘Dark Days’ Book
Da Capo Press will release LAMB OF GOD vocalist Randy Blythe's memoir, "Dark Days: My Tribulation And Trials", later this year. Random House has purchased the foreign rights to the book and will act as publisher in the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
The memoir, which puts emphasis on the past year of Randy's life, is an incredible, harrowing, heartbreaking, and redemptive story told in Blythe's already well-recognized writing style.
Blythe has launched the official blog for "Dark Days: My Tribulation And Trials" at this location. His first blog entry reads as follows: "Obviously (as the name of this blog will lead the more astute amongst you to deduce), this is the official blog of my upcoming book, 'Dark Days', scheduled for publication later in this year of our lord, 2014. I even state that fact in greater detail over in the 'about the author' section (the little box to the left of this post), just in case there is any confusion about what in the hell is going on here. In that box it also says 'PROCESS. PRODUCTION. PUBLICATION.' That is because those are the three phases the life of this book will go through, and the three phases in which this blog will be chronologically updated. More on that shortly.
"First, a brief explanation about myself and the basis of my book for those of you who are unfamiliar with me or the recent events that have occurred in my life during the last year and a half or so.
"My name is D. Randall Blythe, known to most simply as Randy. I make my living singing for the four-time-Grammy-losing international touring heavy metal act LAMB OF GODWe've been around for almost twenty years now, have several critically acclaimed albums (well, at least by a few critics at a couple of metal magazines), and have played on every continent on earth except Antarctica. It's a good life. I am also a sober alcoholic who hasn't touched a drink or a drug (other than caffeine and nicotine) for well over three years as of this writing.
"For twenty-two years, I drank herculean amounts of alcohol (and drugged on the side just to make sure I was truly screwing myself up) in an attempt to alter reality to the point where I could deal with it. Surprise, surprise — that strategy did not work. That was NOT a good life, and I barely survived it. I'm much better now.
"Everything was going just hunky-dory until about a year and a half ago.
"On June 27, 2012 my band flew from Norway to the Czech Republic to play a show. Upon landing in Prague, we were met at the end of the jetway by five masked and heavily armed large men in body armor, along with four plainclothes detectives. To the immense surprise of my bandmates and myself, I was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter concerning the death of a LAMB OF GOD fan.
"We had played Prague two years previously, and unbeknownst to any of us, a young man had sustained an injury to the head during our show, dying a month later. The police said that I was the cause of that injury. I was promptly incarcerated and spent the next thirty-seven days in a 123-year-old crumbling prison on the outskirts of Prague.
"After a long and complex process during which my band had to borrow almost half a million bucks, I was released on bail and returned to the United States. Instead of hiding like a coward in the U.S., safe from extradition (the U.S. government had refused to cooperate with the Czechs after they requested assistance in investigating me immediately after the young man died. My government also did not deem it necessary to inform me that I was a wanted man in a foreign country. Your tax dollars at work.), I returned to Prague in early 2013 to stand trial. I did this for several reasons, first and foremost being I felt the family of this young man deserved some answers, and I was the only one who could provide them. I felt it unethical to hide from my problems while they grieved the loss of their son. As the father of a dead daughter, I understood their pain in a very visceral way. I had tried to hide from my problems for over twenty years by crawling into a bottle. I do not live that way anymore, so to hide from this would have been intolerable for me. I believe it would have lead me back to the drink, and from there, I would have surely died.
"On March 5, 2013, I was found not guilty and acquitted of all charges. I have remained a free man every since.
"This book will tell that story, the whole story, for the first time ever. I'm the only one who lived it, so I'm the only one capable of telling it. However, the tale of my arrest, incarceration, release, and trial are merely the vehicle I will be using to convey what I feel is an important message in today's fast-paced, high-tech, self-centered world.
"I have something to say, and life has presented me with a tragic way to illustrate my point without being preachy or pedantic.
"I will not moralize or shout from some ludicrous ethical pedestal (I didn't win the Olympics or cure cancer, I went to prison, for Pete's sake) — I just want to relate how I got through a very scary time and came out with my head held high. I think there is a lesson of value in the telling of my story, if only for myself. Therefore I will write it, and I hope some of you will read it."
The rights to Blythe's book were sold to Da Capo executive editor Ben Schafer by Marc Gerald at The Agency Group.
"While I've dreamed of being a published author almost since I began to read, I never imagined my first book would center around such a sad topic," said Blythe. "Sometimes though, life unexpectedly provides you a story that needs to be told. I believe this one does (for several different reasons, not just for the benefit of myself), so I will tell it with the respect and dignity all involved deserve. This will be a good read, I promise you, and I h
LAMB OF GOD Bassist JOHN CAMPBELL: ‘We Try To Push Ourselves On Every Record’
David Devo Oosthuizen of The Metal Review recently conducted an interview with LAMB OF GOD bassist John Campbell. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.
The Metal Review: In terms of a new album, I think everybody's sort of saying that after such a mammoth album ["Resolution"] that dropped in 2011, when is there a hope of some new material? Have you guys been tossing around some new ideas?
John Campbell: We have, and I'm glad that you ask the question on when, and not how we are going to do something better, because that's a question we ask ourselves every time. Well, when we get together to start discussing the record, start working on the actual music, but probably won't be until the middle of this year … I keep forgetting we have a New Year.
The Metal Review: Is there anything in terms of the formula you guys use for your records you would want to challenge or change or do differently this time?
John Campbell: We try to push ourselves on every record to kind of step outside what we've done before, whilst still maintaining what it is that we do. We're a heavy metal band. We're not going to change that now. We're going to put out music that we feel really good about!
The Metal Review: "As The Palaces Burn" [LAMB OF GOD documentary] is obviously going to be a massive event during March. I mean, we've seen on social media it will screen in over 200 locations! That's huge!
John Campbell: You tell me!
The Metal Review: As a documentary, it is massive exposure, especially for a story that you guys have got to get out there, right?
John Campbell: Yeah, and actually it's kind of an odd thing! We started this documentary trying to show our fans and the impact of music, specifically our music on people around the world in these far-off fun places! The story kind of changed in the middle of it and the people making the movie are artists in their own right and they were true to telling the story as it unfolded. This is a tragic story, and I would like people not to think we are commodify the story, but it is a documentary about what happened and we think there are a lot of people that would like to see what happened.
The Metal Review: With vinyl making such a huge comeback, what is your view on vinyl as a music format? It is so big again, you would think it is the brand new thing around the block, when,of course, it's been around forever!
John Campbell: Vinyl definitely has its place! I have a vinyl collection, but I haven't turned on my record player in a long time, but I have a record player. There are people that absolutely love vinyl and they love a band and they want to see them released on vinyl, so why wouldn't we?
The Metal Review: We heard TRIVIUM recently say that there's not enough metal bands, not enough camaraderie between metal bands and youngsters should pick up a guitar and start playing and form metal bands, that there's not enough creativity in metal today. What's your take on all that?
John Campbell: I think kids should pick up instruments, regardless of what they play, I think they should pick up pencils, brushes, anything! Be creative and be artistic! Whether it's heavy metal or not!
Read the entire interview at The Metal Review.
LAMB OF GOD’s RANDY BLYTHE Won’t Be Thinking About Playing Heavy Metal ‘For A Good Long While’
Richmond, Virginia metallers LAMB OF GOD are planning to take a long break from the road following the completion of the touring activities in support of the band's 2012 album, "Resolution".
In a post on his official Instagram account, LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe writes: "And so another album cycle comes to an end.
"This has been a very eventful, at times VERY STRESSFUL, album cycle, and it's been about three years since we started on this one in our practice space.
"I need a break.
"Tomorrow is a 19-hour flight back to the USA, and then another one home to [Richmond], and except for two festival shows in 2014, I will not be thinking about LAMB OF GOD, touring, playing heavy metal, writing new LAMB OF GOD material — NONE OF THAT STUFF AT ALL — for a good long while.
"[It's] time to do other things for a bit, and let my brain regroup, and be a somewhat normal human being.
"This has been a pretty wild ride, though, and to end it in Africa of all places still amazes the crap outta me.
"So thanks, Johannesburg, for an awesome end to the 'Resolution' tour cycle."
LAMB OF GOD entered into a worldwide distribution deal with Specticast (LED ZEPPELIN's "Celebration Day", Paul McCartney's "Rock Show") for their Don Argott-directed ("Last Days Here", "Art Of The Steal", "School Of Rock") feature film "As The Palaces Burn". Filming for the movie began in 2012 and concluded in March of 2013.
"As The Palaces Burn", which should not be confused with the making-of documentary packaged with the recent re-release of the 2003 LAMB OF GOD album of the same name, was conceived to be a documentary focused on the power of music and its impact on cultures around the world and its ability to bring together people of all nationalities regardless of religious or political differences. After a worldwide casting call, filming took place in Colombia, Venezuela, Israel, India, and the United States. As filming reached its conclusion, the documentary was forced to take a major turn when the band's lead singer, Randy Blythe, was arrested in the Czech Republic and charged with the murder of a fan in June 2012. Granted unique access to Blythe's saga, Argott's filming covered Blythe's 38-day imprisonment in Prague, his release and the band's return to live performances, and finally Blythe's trial for murder in Prague in February 2013.
LAMB OF GOD: ‘As The Palaces Burn’ Feature Documentary Film To Premiere In Philadelphia
Philadelphia's Trocadero Theatre will host the world premiere of the LAMB OF GOD feature documentary film "As The Palaces Burn" on February 16. Capacity for this event will be limited to 800 people. Included in that capacity will be 50 VIP packages which will include a meet-and-greet with the band prior to the showing of the film.
The Trocadero Theatre was where LAMB OF GOD's platinum DVD, "Killadelphia", was filmed, making the venue a natural choice for the movie premiere.
Besides being shown theatrically worldwide in 350 theaters, 13 U.S club venues have been chosen for exclusive screenings of the film. Tickets for all venues go on sale this weekend, except in Toronto which go on sale today. The cities and venues are:
* New York, NY - Highline Ballroom
* Washington, DC - Howard Theatre
* Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
* Baltimore, MD - The Ottobar
* Montreal, QC - Foufounes Electriques
* Toronto, ON - Opera House
* San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge
* Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey
* Denver, CO - Summit Music Hall
* Chicago, IL - Ginger Man Tavern
* Pittsburgh, PA - Club Cafe
* Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
* Seattle, WA – The Showbox
For information on the location of all theaters as well as dates of screenings and show times, go to www.asthepalacesburn.com.
Following the 90-minute film, a 30-minute question-and-answer session with the entire band and Don Argott will be shown. The question-and-answer session was conducted by VH1 Classic's Eddie Trunk and filmed at the final show of the band's North American tour in support of their most recent release, "Resolution".
LAMB OF GOD entered into a worldwide distribution deal with Specticast (LED ZEPPELIN's "Celebration Day", Paul McCartney's "Rock Show") for their Don Argott-directed ("Last Days Here", "Art Of The Steal", "School Of Rock") feature film "As The Palaces Burn". Filming for the movie began in 2012 and concluded in March of 2013.
"As The Palaces Burn", which should not be confused with the making-of documentary packaged with the recent re-release of the 2003 LAMB OF GOD album of the same name, was conceived to be a documentary focused on the power of music and its impact on cultures around the world and its ability to bring together people of all nationalities regardless of religious or political differences. After a worldwide casting call, filming took place in Colombia, Venezuela, Israel, India, and the United States. As filming reached its conclusion, the documentary was forced to take a major turn when the band's lead singer, Randy Blythe, was arrested in the Czech Republic and charged with the murder of a fan in June 2012. Granted unique access to Blythe's saga, Argott's filming covered Blythe's 38-day imprisonment in Prague, his release and the band's return to live performances, and finally Blythe's trial for murder in Prague in February 2013.
The trailer for the film can be seen below
LAMB OF GOD’s MORTON Sitting Out European Tour; BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME’s WAGGONER Filling In
Guitarist Mark Morton of Richmond, Virginia metallers LAMB OF GOD is sitting out at least the first few shows of the band's current European headlining tour due to a "family emergency." Filling in for him is Paul Waggoner of BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME.
Fan-filmed video footage of the first show of the European tour, which took place last night (Monday, January 6) in Vienna, Austria, can be seen below.
Prior to performing the song "Walk With Me In Hell" at the Vienna concert, LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe explained Morton's absence, telling the crowd, "You may have noticed Mr. Mark Morton is not here with us tonight. He had a family emergency, so he had to stay home. It's family first for this band. We apologize, but he had to be with his family. Luckly, we have a very big music family, so we've got our friend Paul Waggoner from BETWEEN THE BURIED IN ME [playing with us tonight]."
LAMB OF GOD recently entered into a worldwide distribution deal with Specticast (LED ZEPPELIN's "Celebration Day", Paul McCartney's "Rock Show") for their Don Argott-directed ("Last Days Here", "Art Of The Steal", "School Of Rock") feature film "As The Palaces Burn". Filming for the movie began in 2012 and concluded in March of 2013.
"As The Palaces Burn", which should not be confused with the making-of documentary packaged with the recent re-release of the 2003 LAMB OF GOD album of the same name, was conceived to be a documentary focused on the power of music and its impact on cultures around the world and its ability to bring together people of all nationalities regardless of religious or political differences. After a worldwide casting call, filming took place in Colombia, Venezuela, Israel, India, and the United States. As filming reached its conclusion, the documentary was forced to take a major turn when the band's lead singer, Randy Blythe, was arrested in the Czech Republic and charged with the murder of a fan in June 2012. Granted unique access to Blythe's saga, Argott's filming covered Blythe's 38-day imprisonment in Prague, his release and the band's return to live performances, and finally Blythe's trial for murder in Prague in February 2013.
LAMB OF GOD’s RANDY BLYTHE Pays Tribute To NELSON MANDELA
LAMB OF GOD singer Randy Blythe was one of many musicians who have taken to social media to pay their respects to Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first black president and a groundbreaking civil rights activist.
Mandela died on Thursday (December 5) at age 95. One of the foremost civil rights leaders in his battle against apartheid, he had spent 27 years imprisoned for treason and his work and eventual release captured the hearts of the rock world — especially those of U2, Paul Simon, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Bruce Springsteen and Steve Van Zandt — all of whom went to great lengths to raise awareness of Mandela's imprisonment and the plight of black South Africans living under apartheid.
Writing on his Instagram account, Randy said: "[On Thursday] Nelson Mandela died, and many people will take to social media to say 'RIP Mandela' and post a picture of the great man, free and smiling after 27 years in prison for allegedly conspiring to commit sabotage and conspiracy against the South African apartheid government in 1962.
"He was one of the finest humans of our time.
"I grew up hearing of this man imprisoned in South Africa, and I, like millions worldwide, was overjoyed when he finally was released in 1990. He came out of prison and within four years was South Africa's first black president, having spearheaded the political movement that peacefully ended the racist apartheid government. He did great things for his people after he was free, there is no doubt. But this picture is a far more telling testament to what kind of man Mandela was than any modern photo. Here he is defiantly raising his fists with other men on the way to prison — he had JUST been given a life sentence.
"Mandela knew what would happen with his trial, and instead of focusing all his energy on keeping himself free, he disrupted the trial by wearing traditional garb, refused to call any witnesses to his defense and turned the trial into an arena for political speech to show the world what was happening in South Africa. He sacrificed his own freedom so that his people could one day be equals in their own native country, because he knew something had to change, and if he had to go to prison for LIFE to speed that change, so be it. He was a living example of DOING THE RIGHT THING, NO MATTER WHAT THE COST. THAT is a REAL MAN. In fact, one of his most famous quotes about prison was this: 'If I had my time over, I would do the same again. So would any man who dares call himself a man.'
"So rest in peace, Nelson Mandela. I can only hope others will take a page from your book. Your 27 years of hard time are a blessing to us all."
RANDY BLYTHE’s Book Gets Title, Tentative Release Date
According to Amazon.com, Da Capo Press has set a June 24, 2014 North American release date for LAMB OF GOD vocalist Randy Blythe's memoir, "Dark Days: My Tribulation And Trials". Random House has purchased the foreign rights to the book and will act as publisher in the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
The memoir, which puts emphasis on the past year of Randy's life, is an incredible, harrowing, heartbreaking, and redemptive story told in Blythe's already well-recognized writing style.
It seems that almost every major media outlet has attempted to righteously cover the story of Blythe's arrest, incarceration, trial, and acquittal for manslaughter in the Czech Republic last year, but now, the man at the center of it all unveils the truths of the ordeal, personally detailing every aspect in his own words. No ghost writers, no co-authors, just Randy Blythe himself.
The rights to Blythe's book were sold to Da Capo executive editor Ben Schafer by Marc Gerald at The Agency Group.
"While I've dreamed of being a published author almost since I began to read, I never imagined my first book would center around such a sad topic," says Blythe. "Sometimes though, life unexpectedly provides you a story that needs to be told. I believe this one does (for several different reasons, not just for the benefit of myself), so I will tell it with the respect and dignity all involved deserve. This will be a good read, I promise you, and I hope some good comes of it."
Added Schafer: "I knew that Randy was a master vocalist and lyricist but it turns out he is a vivid and visceral prose writer as well.
"Regarding his arrest and trial in the Czech Republic, Randy handled a frightening and heartbreaking situation with courage, grace, and humility, and we at Da Capo Press are honored to have the opportunity to have a part in telling his story."
Da Capo Press, a member of American publishing company the Perseus Books Group, is an excellent home for Blythe's memoir, having already published several other books by heavy metal greats like Tony Iommi (BLACK SABBATH), Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT, STONE SOUR), Rex Brown (PANTERA, DOWN, KILL DEVIL HILL) and Al Jourgensen (MINISTRY).
Prague, Czech Republic's High Court upheld Blythe's "not guilty" verdict on June 5 in connection with the death of a fan three years ago. The court's decision is final.
A three-judge panel on March 5 acquitted Blythe of manslaughter in the death of 19-year-old Daniel Nosek.
Blythe was facing the possibility of conviction and a long-term jail sentence after a May 2010 incident in which Nosek, who attended a LAMB OF GOD performance in Prague, died almost a month later, allegedly from injuries sustained when he was thrown off the stage.
Though Blythe faced up to 10 years in prison, during the closing argument, prosecutors only asked the judge for the minimum sentence of five years.