Lamb Of God's Randy Blythe On Why He Hates Recording, Loves Touring & Takes Nothing For Granted

Lamb Of God return to Australia in the coming weeks, bearing their latest body of work VII: Sturm und Drang. This will be no small deal for fans of the band, considering the record debut at #2 on our charts.

Six albums into the game, VII: Sturm und Drang was clear proof the metal heroes still had it, and also, proof that Australians fucking love Lamb Of God. The run of tour dates will include dates with brothers-in-arms Slipknot as well as a few cheeky headline stops on the side.

We caught up with vocalist Randy Blythe ahead of the shows, and even scored a bit of a surf report to boot.

Randy Blythe: It’s dark right now. There’s a system coming up from Florida right now. This morning we had some nice clear wave, breaking on the outside right around high tide but now it’s kind of mushed out. Hopefully, it’ll be good in the morning and the wind stays off shore. And that’s your surf report.

Music Feeds: Lamb Of God are returning to Australia so very soon with Slipknot, how are preparations coming along?

RB: We always loving coming there man. Man I want to say all the usual things like “We’re coming down with our brothers Slipknot and we can’t wait to get there” but, like, of course we are, you know? The schedule, this time, seems pretty nutty so hopefully, we can get out and see some stuff while we’re running around.

MF: Your new album VII: Sturm und Drang debuted at Album #2 on the Australian charts, I’m sure you knew you were popular here but was it a surprise to see the album chart so high on the other side of the world?

RB: I didn’t know we had that many fans, I suppose. The first time we came to Australia, years ago, we did a signing at a record store. It was our first time there and I thought “Oh, you know, it’ll be cool if a couple of people come up”. But when we got there, there was a line around the block.

There was a dude in line with a full Lamb Of God chest piece tattoo. Like, holy cow. We had no idea. It’s been great every time we’ve been. The fans are completely nuts and we always get such a good response. I’ve spent three birthdays in Australia on tour.

We’ve done Soundwave a few times around my birthday in February. I remember one time, it was on my birthday and we’re playing on the other side of the world then all of a sudden, spontaneously, 12,000 people started singing me Happy Birthday. That was awesome! I woke up thinking “I miss my wife today” but then that happens, I can only be so bummed out.

MF: It isn’t just an Australia thing either, the album landed in the top 10 for something like 6 different countries…When you were making the album, did you have any Ah-Ha moments that made you think you were onto something?

RB: There’s always that moment on one or two songs on every album. I don’t like recording, I hate it. I like playing live. I hate sitting in the studio, it drives me nuts. But I think with every record you’re in such a fishbowl as it were – because we take a while to write and record – so I think you lose perspective of the thing as a whole. It’s only after you’re done with it that you can look at it as a piece and make a judgement call on it.

For me, there’s always a couple of songs, or even just parts of songs that when I listen to, I’m like “Whoa, nailed it”. But that’s about it. Then once I’m one recording it, I don’t listen to our music. I just don’t. I’ve spent hours and hours and hours singing the same lines then I go on tour.

Maybe when I’m older I can sit back and look at our records. You know, after the band is done. But right now I’m kinda too busy touring on it. I don’t really think about our music too much, it’s just something I do.

MF: You’ve had some time to air them out live since the release, how were the new tracks to perform?

RB: They go down really well, depending on the song [Laughs]. There was one song that the rest of the dudes in my band were really behind. It was one of the only songs on the album I wasn’t so hot on. I thought it was good but it doesn’t really float my boat. Then we start playing it live and it didn’t go down as well as the other ones so I was like “Well, let’s try….this one”, you know? And that one went over well.

I felt kind of vindicated in a weird way. In a band, everyone wants the song that they like to go down the best. All our material goes over well when we play it live, it seems like at this point, but some of it goes over better than others.

MF: Now that the album has had some months to find its footing, looking back on the final product, how do you feel about it now?

RB: I think it’s a much more cohesive album than, let’s say, the two or three previous. I enjoy it more. There’s a lot more co-writing between our guitar players on this one. Not as much individual wood shedding at home and I think it shows on the record. There’s some really cool moments in it and also some new directions I’d like to explore more with the band if we do another record.

MF: Whoa whoa…If?

RB: Well, every Lamb Of God record can be the last record. Every single one. I don’t take anything for granted. You never know what’s gonna happen. So I always look at every record we make as “this could be the last one”. You just don’t know what’s gonna happen in rock n’ roll, man.

And if we do a new record it won’t be for a while. We need to take some time off. The last few years have been pretty gnarly. There hasn’t been a lot of break between all the shenanigans that I went through. Then we just started writing and recording again. We need an extended break after this tour – that’s what’s going to happen.

MF: I think after everything that’s happened and everything you’ve done for us, I speak on behalf of all your fans when I say dude, do it – take a breather.

RB: Some people are OK with it but I think the music suffers from bands that are just constantly pushing out product and that seems to be the cycle now – hurry up, you’re not done, it’s time to make another record. ‘Cos that’s the money machine. I think bands oughta sit back, take a look at what they’re doing and let some ideas brew. Because it you don’t take time off between writing records, stuff recycles itself too much.

MF: Randy man that’s all we’ve got time for, an honour and privilege to get to chat with you!

RB: Cheers, man and I’ll see you soon!

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‘VII: Sturm und Drang’ is out now. Lamb Of God kick off their tour with Slipknot next week, followed by their own headline shows. See dates and details below.