"I can't express in words how things have changed for us in the past six weeks. 'Wrath' has debuted at #2. We are literally astonished. With the economy brittle and an abundance of copycat artists, we were able to shock the music world and pull off what no one else has done.
"To get a better understanding, the record industry has declined 30% since our last album, 'Sacrament', debuted in August 2006, yet we prevailed and outsold that record....with a new record that is brutal slap to the face of all popular music. I could not be more proud of the band for making the record we wanted, but more importantly you, the friends and family of this band, are the ones that made it a reality. The credit is yours. The revolution is ours. This is a triumph not only for us, but for metal.
"I look at it as objectively as possible — this is not about us in LAMB OF GOD, this is the tide turning against the sing-song, look-alike pretty-boy industry. It's unreal to be a part of, and at the moment leading, the charge in this important direction. I rejoice in the dent we have created in the establishment, but it never could have happened without you. I mean that. This is the time for us all to raise a glass to each other and understand that together we are dictating the future of real music.
I can't tell you how amazing that is to me. I now look forward to the future of music and the evolution of metal.
"Nu metal is officially dead, and we can all hopefully begin look forward to cute teenage girls no longer being exploited with jingles written in back rooms by old men with music formulas. Together we've shocked the world, and we are proud and honored to have your support. This is your victory as much as it is ours. We are lucky you have our back!
"Nu metal is officially dead, and we can all hopefully begin look forward to cute teenage girls no longer being exploited with jingles written in back rooms by old men with music formulas. Together we've shocked the world, and we are proud and honored to have your support. This is your victory as much as it is ours. We are lucky you have our back!
"We did not do this in a void. Many bands before us, that came before their time, have influenced us and helped us create who we are. There are too many to list, but I can tell you that we are children of the '80s metal/punk scene. We are the kids that skipped first period to smoke cigarettes and listen to our cassette Walkmans, just like you. We are the outcasts, the ones with 'limited potential' and 'no future.'
"Follow your dreams and do what is in your heart. There is no better advice I can give.
"To all that tried to stop us as individuals and as a band, I say unto thee, thank you. You have made it all so much sweeter.
“If you are reading this, you get it. We've never schemed to do anything other than have fun and be the best we can be. Love us or hate us, you have to admit that we are shattering doors that should have been opened long ago.
“If you are reading this, you get it. We've never schemed to do anything other than have fun and be the best we can be. Love us or hate us, you have to admit that we are shattering doors that should have been opened long ago.
"All hail metal."
So, I knew it was coming, I fucking knew it.
Before I begin, let me just clear the air. I have no personal problem with Chris Adler or Lamb Of God. In fact, I happen to think his brother, Willie is probably one of the coolest motherfuckers in music. The others are righteous dudes in their own right.
What gets me is this.
Every time there’s a new album (or DVD, or tour, or T-shirt or…) by the band you can bet your bottom dollar there’s going to be this kind of press release by Chris. A waxing poetically about said product and it’s “impact” on the World of Heavy Metal.
Now, you cannot deny that what they release by all means does impact our Metal world…it sure the fuck does. They chart high (#2, damn) and create some kind of ripple effect that hopefully helps other bands fighting the good fight.
That’s not why I’m here, not at all.
The reason I’m here is because it’s in the manner in which he chooses to take. Every time we get one of these things he writes them like he’s parting fucking water or something. Like the earth is readjusting it’s axis to compensate for this deliverance of product and the mass consumption of it by its inhabitants.
I stop myself short of saying his message is delivered with a pompous attitude, because having spent a little time off stage with the guy he is pretty much attitude free. But his choice of words and phrases just bother me.
That’s not why I’m here, not at all.
The reason I’m here is because it’s in the manner in which he chooses to take. Every time we get one of these things he writes them like he’s parting fucking water or something. Like the earth is readjusting it’s axis to compensate for this deliverance of product and the mass consumption of it by its inhabitants.
I stop myself short of saying his message is delivered with a pompous attitude, because having spent a little time off stage with the guy he is pretty much attitude free. But his choice of words and phrases just bother me.
All this “we did the unthinkable”, “we shocked the world” and the words “victories” and “revolutions” and shit, to me are just way overblown!
You’re on a MAJOR label. You’re on the cover of all the MAJOR PRESS. Your video gets a lot of airplay, your street team obviously did their job too. Your new album was pushed and hyped and name checked every-fucking-minute on satellite radio, Best Buy ran the advertising your label paid for as well as end cap marketing…and to top it all off where else are the Pantera fan rejects of America supposed to turn?
What you did was cool…let the music do the talking.
Those doors you claim to be shattering…those doors were taped together from their original OBLITERATION back in February 1986 when ‘Master Of Puppets’ came out. I just think what Lamb Of God is doing is ‘par for the course’ for an established major label Heavy Metal band in 2009.
Truth be told, I was far more impressed with the 268,000 copies (and a #1 birth) Slipknot sold late last year. This “Thrash Metal” template has been laid out for fucking years now. Lamb Of God doing what’s been done before (musically as well as these other “historic victories”) is just not that impressive.
‘Far Beyond Driven’, now THAT was a victorious moment for Metal. The height of "Grunge" and way, way less media exposure...a real left field-right hook to the face of the Recording Industry.
