Words by Rod Whitfield
In some ways it’s a little hard to believe that arguably the leading light of the so called ‘New Wave of American Heavy Metal’, Richmond, Virginia’s Lamb of God have been around for more than a decade and a half. But this actually is the case. Forming in 1994 under the moniker Burn the Priest, the band changed their name to the slightly less offensive Lamb of God a few years after that, releasing a couple of EPs before unleashing their debut album in 1999.
To celebrate the 15 year milestone, the band are set to release a three disc retrospective called Hourglass, featuring some choice cuts from their early days, some fan favourites from the last four albums and some rare and unheard tracks. It’s a serious value for money package, and a must for any LOG fan. Drummer Chris Adler discussed the new release, the band’s longevity and many other issues from his home in Richmond. “Sometimes it feels like three decades,” he quips, regarding the amount of time they’ve been together, “and sometimes it feels like yesterday. We do definitely have a lot of fun doin’ this, and I think that when we were kids this was our dream, to do this at the level we’ve gotten to. It’s very fulfilling and it’s very nice to be here, but at the same time, being around the same dudes for 15 years, it’s like having four or five younger and older brothers crammed in the car with you all the time for 15 years!
“At the start we were hoping that we could play a few parties and clubs and get some free beer!”
The Hourglass package is a twofold celebration, of the 15 years they have spent as a band together and as an homage to their legion of fans worldwide. And unlike many ‘Best of’ type releases, the band members had absolute control over the content and design. “We’d been talking about this 15 year thing,” he explains, on the reasons behind the release of the anthology, “how we wanted to do it for the people that have stuck with us the whole time. But we all hate the Greatest Hits packages. It always seems like such a rip off. Either it’s the label or the band going for that last dollar. We didn’t want to do that. We wanted to try and put together a package that offered something unique to any level of fan, from the guy who’s been with us since day one to the guy who’s never heard us and decided to buy it for the first time. It’s a hard line to straddle; we tried to keep everybody happy.
“We picked them all (the songs) ourselves,” he continues, “the first two discs were just based on songs that have worked well for us in a live setting, the ones that kind of ‘made’ the band, if you will. On the third disc we really went off the charts, and went back into the demos, the boombox recordings. Some it is terrible, terrible sounding stuff! We try to be transparent, we show the fights, we show the good times and the bad times, and I thought it was important to keep that going on that third disc, and do what maybe other bands don’t.”
The other incredible news for the band and their Aussie fans is that returning once again to our shores, but this time it will be in support of unquestionably the most successful Heavy Metal band in history, the mighty Metallica. The tour kicks off in Mid September, and they’ll be here for well over two months as more and more dates are added as shows sell out. The tour is actually making two separate stops in Melbourne to accommodate the demand, and Chris and the boys are completely psyched about both the tour itself and catching up with some of the Aussie people they’ve become friends over the years. “We’re really excited about it,” he enthuses, “it’s going to be a great tour. We got a lot of friends down there, and we can’t wait to see ‘em.
“Randy’s become great friends with the guys from Sydonia,” he carries on, “there’s some great people in Melbourne, and I’m hoping to stay as long as I can. In fact I’ve talked to my wife several times about trying to apply to come down there and hang out for a little bit longer than just a concert or two. It’s the most beautiful place in the world, and it’s the one place that the entire band never complains about going to! Everywhere else there’s always a complaint, even in the US. But when it turns out that we’re going to Australia, everyone signs up immediately.”
Lamb of God's Hourglass Anthology is out now on Sony Music Australia. For more information on Lamb of God check out www.lamb-of-god.com
