Randy Blythe – Skin Back Alley

Lamb Of God to release new album in ‘early part’ of 2015

19/09/2014 by skinbackalley, posted in News

Randy Blythe, frontman with Lamb Of God, has said that the band will release a new album in the early part of next year.

The US metal titans are planning to release the new LP around the same time as Blythe’s book on his Czech manslaughter trial ordeal.

Speaking in interview with Jamey Jasta, Blythe said: “The new album and the book will be released in the early part of next year, close together. It’s hard to say with the record because we haven’t written it yet – but the book is almost done.”

Blythe’s book about his trial for manslaughter in the Czech Republic, Dark Days: My Tribulation And Trials, is set to appear via Da Capo Press, beginning with Blythe’s arrest in the Czech Republic in 2012 following the death of fan Daniel Nosek two years previously. It will cover his weeks behind bars, his trial and final acquittal.

But Blythe says: “There’s no fucking lesson. People are like, ‘It’s so cool you learned from your mistakes.’ That’s bullshit. The only thing that happens is a tragedy – there was a dead kid.”

“There’s people who’ve been through worse, definitely; but it was not a good experience. Writing the book helped me process it a lot.”

GWAR’s Dave Brockie given Viking pyre send-off

19/08/2014 by skinbackalley, posted in News

Photo (C) Gary Miller/Getty Images

Late GWAR frontman Dave Brockie – a.k.a Oderus Urungus – has been memorialised with a Viking style send-off.

His bandmates used their annual GWAR-B-Q in Virginia to pay tribute to the singer who died back in March following an accidental heroin overdose.

Brockie’s stage costume was set alight in a funeral pyre on Hadad’s Lake near Richmond.

Lamb Of God frontman Randy Blythe, who was a close friend of the singer, said: “Watching my friend Dave’s costume go up in flames in front of a thousand fans was so much more intense for me that the private memorial for friends and family we had on April Fool’s Day.

“I spoke at both of them and both times were sad. But watching his alter ego burn tore me up way more than the first memorial. Maybe because there was Dave, the human and my friend who just left us; and then there was Oderus, who was something else entirely. To watch his stage gear burn was like watching part of my life go up in flames.

“It was a super-intense moment – very beautiful, but overwhelming.”

Brockie was the last surviving member of the original GWAR lineup, following the death of guitarist Cory Smoot in 2011. Smoot had suffered a heart attack whilst on tour.

Lamb Of God’s Randy Blythe pays tribute to Tommy Ramone

14/07/2014 by skinbackalley, posted in News

Randy Blythe, frontman with US metal band Lamb Of God, has paid tribute to Tommy Ramone following the drummer’s death from cancer last week.

The last surviving member of the original Ramones lineup, Tommy Ramone died from cancer at the age of 65.

Blythe hailed him as “helping to create the music that changed and saved my life.”

Writing a statement via his Instagram account, Blythe continued: “The importance of the Ramones in the history of underground music cannot be overstated — before the Sex Pistols, The Clash, Black Flag and way before any speed/thrash metal band, The Ramones were blowing minds with loud, fast, aggressive music.

“Although to the calloused ears of modern youth who have grown up listening to crust punk/grind core/speed and thrash metal/and even some of the more aggressive music on commercial radio, The Ramones might sound like fast pop, at the time they started playing out in New York City at CBGB/Max’s Kansas City (1974), they were something that had never ever been seen or heard before.

“The first time my band played CBGB, I was completely emotionally overwhelmed. ‘Man, the feeaking Ramones started out here!’ I thought as I stood on stage. I almost started crying. Without that band, the tempo of underground music would have never reached the speed that it has today. “No Ramones = no Lamb Of God, or any of the other music most fans of my band listen to.

“Rest in peace, bro.”

Huntress pay tribute to Lamb Of God at Download festival

13/06/2014 by skinbackalley, posted in News

Jill Janus, frontwoman with Huntress, says that her band are being seen as “legit” thanks to thanks to Lamb Of God.

Huntress will play a set on the Red Bull Stage at Download festival this weekend, something which Janus puts down to their supporting Lamb Of God on their US and UK tours.

Speaking to TeamRock Radio at Download, Janus said: “We toured pretty extensively last year with with Lamb Of God in North America, and came over for their UK run. We were able to expose ourselves to a new fanbase. A lot of people were really excited to see us at Download, so we’re looking forward to meeting them again.”

And Janus vows that they’ll be making the most of the Download exposure: ““Stepping into such a massive tour with Lamb Of God, a really legit metal tour, we won them over,” she says.

“What’s really exciting is seeing people come around and become true fans. Being here at Download, that’s going to trickle over.”

You can list to Huntress’ interview with TeamRock Radio below.

Lamb Of God documentary to stream online

01/06/201401/06/2014 by skinbackalley, posted in News

The acclaimed documentary chronicling the manslaughter trial of Lamb Of God frontman Randy Blythe is to stream online from next week.

As The Palaces Burn was originally conceived as a film about the impact of music on various cultures around the world, but was dramatically forced to change focus when Randy Blythe was arrested and charged with manslaughter after a fan fell from the stage during a gig in Prague and later died.

Blythe spent 38 days in a Prague prison before being allowed home. He later had to return to the Czech Republic to face trial. He was found not guilty of the manslaughter of Daniel Nosek, 19.

The movie will stream exclusively on Vimeo On Demand from next week and will be available worldwide to rent or buy.