Ed Martin for Prophecy21.com: How's the tour been going so far? Randall Blythe vocalist for Lamb of God: Well this isn't really a tour rightnow. This is just three shows. We just got back from England, we did twoshows with Slayer over there and then three shows with Atreyu. This is justlike a weekend for us. It's kinda fun ya know going out with some friendsand then we'll have a week off and we'll go out with Anthrax for a fewweeks.
P21: How did the New England Metal Fest and Hellfest go? RB: Both were incredibly amazing. New England was a lot of fun, I got tosee like eight million people I knew. I mean there were just so many bandsand people that have been comin to shows over the years that I got to talkto. Hellfest was equally amazing, there were a lot more people from thehardcore community that I know there. It was hot as all fuck, but it was agood time.
P21: Do you guys plan on playing the New Jersey Metal and Hardcore Fest? RB: Who's orchestrating that?
P21: The same people as the New England one. It's November 14th and 15th. RB: Perhaps, I don't really know yet. We might, but we might in England orsomewhere else overseas.
P21: How did being on the Freddy vs Jason soundtrack come about? RB: Our publicist, this lady Maria Ferrerro, contacted me on my cell phoneactually or maybe it was our lawyer I dunno, but it was just like, "Hey Igot you guys on this soundtrack, it should be cool."
P21: Whats it like to see your CD New American Gospel being displayed mostlyjust in independent mom and pop record stores to the new album being on theHot Artist wall at places like Best Buy? RB: It's been good for us in the sense that its gotten us more exposure. Ihowever wholly support independent stores, the mom and pop instances and ofcourse there there isn't as much exposure, but if I can when I'm at home Ibuy my records from independently owned record stores. It's been good forus exposure-wise, but ideally I would rather have us sold exclusivelythrough family owned businesses cause the big corporate entities like BestBuy and such are the death of small businesses, which is what our country isfounded upon.
P21: Is the album doing as good as you hoped it would? RB: Better.
P21: Your vocals are much more easily understood on this album. Was that aconcious effort or just how your voice has evolved over time? RB: Well I've learned a bit more about vocals and I've always wanted to beunderstood. The difference in why they are more decipherable now is becauseof time. On the Burn The Priest record and New America Gospel I did all thevocals straight in one session. And if you scream for eight hours straightyou just forget what your sayin after a while. This time I was able tobreak it up a little bit over a few days and take some breaks ya know, thatswhy it happened.
P21: What's your favorite track on the album? RB: My favorite track on the new album is..... probably....Well, twodifferent things, musically I really like Vigil, the last track on the album,cause its got some more slower like sludge Southern style stuff, which iswhat I mostly listen to, Eyehategod, stuff like that. Lyrically my favoritetracks would have to Bootscraper or In Defense of Our Good Name. There justabout being a blue collar hardworking person from the south which is what Iam.
P21: Is there anything in the works in the way of a movie or DVD? RB: A DVD has been in the makes for a few years now, we keep on saying weregonna do a DVD and eventually we will. We film every show and we film a lotof the stupid shit we do, dumb stuff. Ya know after were done with thisrecord cycle for Palaces we'll be able to sit and go through literallyhundreds of hours of stuff and put some stuff together.
P21: What new CDs other then your own were you excited about coming out? RB: The new Haste record The Mercury Lift on Century Media. They flew medown there to do guest vocals, the song I'm on is my least favorite on therecord. I think I kinda fucked up the flow on it, but the rest of thatrecord is amazing. And Barry White I wish he had lived long enough to putout another record.
P21: What are your plans for your downtime after touring? RB: After the Anthrax tour which will end mid-August, Willy our guitar playeris getting married so were gonna be off until probably late October. There'sgoing to be a full US tour with some undisclosed bands. I'll tell you this,it's gonna be brutal and sick. Bands that are kind of like our contemporariesas it were. Then we'll probably go to Europe for about two weeks forChristmas. Then we come back and after Christmas we start writing the newrecord.
P21: What do you guys usually do to kill time on the road? RB: I read a whole lot and I drink beer and if anyone has any Vicodin orPercocets I'll take those.
P21: What bands that you haven't toured with yet would you like to in thefuture? RB: Oh man we've done a show with Eyehategod I would love to tour with them.Theres this band from North Carolina called Weedeater. They're really goodfriends of mine, I'd love to tour with them. Who else?...... We've done ashow or two with Hatebreed. I'd love to tour with them. I wouldn't mindtouring with Superjoint Ritual. A couple of guys in that band are friends ofmine.
P21: Thanks, is there anything that you wanna add? RB: Just thanks to everybody who's bought the record, thanks to everybodyfor coming out. And we'll keep em comin at ya the best that we know how.