Key Takeaways

• Vocal Challenge: Randy Blythe urges bands to use their platforms to address current issues.
• Studio Impact: The environment of Total Access studio significantly influenced the recording of Into Oblivion.
• Social Media Concerns: Blythe discusses the negative effects of social media on mental health and community.
• Community Loss: He reflects on the decline of local music scenes and the importance of regional identities in music.

“Don’t be a coward, speak up,” Lamb of God singer Randy Blythe shares with Full Metal Jackie as his challenge to other bands to be more vocal in using their platform to speak about the issues of the day.

Blythe is not holding anything back on Lamb of God’s latest album, Into Oblivion, and he was asked by the radio host for her weekend radio show if he feels there’s enough bands speaking out these days.

“In general, I will say no. There are some bands that are very loud and vocal. I’m hesitant to say, ‘No, there’s not,’ because there is a younger generation of bands that are doing things in their own world, in their own scene, that frankly, as a 55-year-old man, I’m probably not even aware of,” cautions Blythe.

But he observes, “Amongst people of my generation and older, I sure would like to see a little bit more vocal discontent. Shout out to the Dropkick Murphys. And shout out to Bruce Springsteen, you know?”

“I think coming from an underground sort of music, I’m not here to sing love songs. I’m not here to make sure everybody’s having a good time at the party. Let’s speak some words of substance, let’s address some distressing concerns. And there are a lot of them right now,” says the singer.

In part 1 of a two-part interview, Full Metal Jackie speaks with the Lamb of God singer about the impact that the historic studio they used for their new album had on his performance. They also delve into the impact of social media on the current generation and Randy’s own experiences breaking free from social media while still engaging with daily world events.

Randy also shares his concern over the loss of community in local music scenes while sharing his appreciation for the time he came up in musically, and he and Jackie share their thoughts on how they would handle it if either of them won the lottery one day.

Check out more of the chat below and come back next week for part two of the discussion.

It’s Full Metal Jackie. Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe with us on the show this week and we’re talking about the new Into Oblivion album. This album was recorded at Total Access in Redondo Beach, California. So many legendary punk albums were made there. Are you someone who feels environment can impact the sound of a record? And what was your experience taking in all the history of the studio?

Yes. Of course, I think environment can impact a record.

Our producer, Josh, found Total Access and he knew I would love it ’cause when you walk in there and you look on the walls, you see Black Flag, My War. You see a Saint Vitus album cover, you see records by The Descendents, by Minutemen, by Hüsker Dü, all the early SST stuff.

When that studio started, Spot, who was SST Records’ producer, was brought in by Greg Ginn of Black Flag, who owned that record label. And he came to the studio and he basically asked the owner at the time, he’s like, ‘I have X amount of money. How many records can I get done for this?’ Kinda like a Groupon sorta deal back in the day. So he’s like, ‘I can do this much.’ So that’s why there’s so many of those great punk bands from the California region recorded there.

And there’s also like Dio recorded there. It’s not just punk rock, but some really significant metal stuff went down there too.

Randy, we were talking about your experience recording this new album, Into Oblivion, which happened in Redondo Beach. Tell us more about how it was compared to previous records that you have done.

Our last record was in Henson [formerly A&M in Hollywood]. I believe that’s gotten changed now [It was recently changed to Chaplin Studios by the new owners]. But that’s a very fancy studio and a huge live room and we recorded that record a little bit differently, mostly live.

This one, we went back to something more traditional. They track, then I sing to tracks. The vibe in Total Access is it’s nice but it’s no frills. It’s down to business. It’s like, ‘This is what we’re here for; we’re going to make some music,’ and you can feel that. And I think it came through in the vocals.

I was extremely comfortable at this studio. It suited me very well. And the owner, I got to sit there and bend his ear and get old punk rock stories from the ’80s bands that recorded there and some of the shenanigans that went down with them.

So all of that added to a vibe where … it’s no big secret I don’t particularly love recording in general. But it made it more comfortable for me. I feel more comfortable in a more utilitarian studio. And also just the vibe there, man. And I’m like that with not just music but art and stuff. Writing out when I’m overseas I’ll go to different places where different famous authors lived or wrote. I’ve been to Pablo Neruda’s house in Chile and I’ve been to all the cafes in Paris where Hemingway wrote, et cetera. I just like to go and soak up the vibe.

I don’t know; it just feeds the sort of creative bug for me.

Randy, we were talking about working out of one of the great studios to birth some of the great punk albums in history. And one great thing about punk has always been using the platform to speak your mind. You’ve never been one to shy away from supporting something you believe in. Do you feel there’s enough of that in the music scene these days— that punk ethos—putting a message out there through music and standing behind it?

In general, I will say no. There are some bands that are very loud and vocal. I’m hesitant to say ‘No, there’s not,’ because there is a younger generation of bands that are doing things in their own world, in their own scene that frankly, as a 55-year-old man, I’m probably not even aware of.

So I hate to be like ‘Nobody’s doing anything these days,’ right? But amongst people of my generation and older, I sure would like to see a little bit more vocal discontent. Shout out to the Dropkick Murphys. And shout out to Bruce Springsteen; you know? But he can’t be just an old man.

READ MORE: Randy Blythe Sounds the Alarm on Trump + Ice in Powerful Message

I think coming from an underground sort of music; I’m not here to sing love songs. I’m not here to make sure everybody’s having a good time at the party. Let’s speak some words of substance; let’s address some distressing concerns. And there are a lot of them right now.

There are.

Don’t be a coward; speak up.

Lamb of God, “Parasocial Christ”

Randy, one of the key tracks off the new album is “Parasocial Christ.” In speaking about the song you’ve addressed what amounts to an addiction to the internet and to some extent— the cult of celebrity that comes with it. “Go live your life.” You address fans in that way. In your own life you’ve taken accountability by deactivating social media; can you speak to what that experience has been like while also trying your best to stay in the loop with current events?

Well it’s interesting because social media is very much a catch-22. I deactivated my lone real social media account— which is Instagram— because frankly I’m tired of making Mark Zuckerberg money; you know? Meta as an organization has admitted that only about seven percent of what you see on your feed comes from people you follow.

So when I got on Instagram originally it was just kind of an interesting thing and it quickly turned into a tool for me to share my photography— which is a big love of mine— and also to learn. I learned a lot about photography from other photographers on there.

At first it was a pretty exciting place and I’ve made actual lifelong friends through Instagram; some very good friends back in the day. But then as the algorithm changed and things became more monetized its sensationalism; you know? The algorithm does not have a moral compass; it only rewards what gets clicks most often— negative things.

This is part of human nature; it goes back to biology and evolution— things of danger that would have negative impacts on your life—in primitive times—in Paleolithic times—you’re gonna pay more attention to that than ‘Oh that’s a nice breeze today.’ Right? That’s just our nature; it’s biology; it’s scientific fact because it’s self-preservation mechanism— now we’re not dealing with saber-toothed tigers— most times you’re not gonna deal with wild animals attempting to eat you.

However our brains are still geared towards paying more attention to negative things; and that’s what algorithms are tailored towards.

Randy we were just talking about social media; tell us more about why you decided to deactivate your Instagram.

As I said you only see like seven percent according to Meta—their own findings—of people that you follow; that’s what you see—The rest are ads and sensationalist reels and all this mind-melting crap—this short attention span crap—that just grabs your attention real quick.

All this is having very negative consequences particularly on younger people—their mental health—their ability to concentrate—their ability to focus on long-term projects.

You’re of an age to remember life before internet—as am I—there’s kids who grow up now only knowing these phones—only knowing how interact—in a lot ways interface with world via this—and scientific research is increasingly showing this is having negative cognitive emotional effects on these kids.

You look at young women—the rates eating disorders depression suicide rate—they’re steadily heading up right? The people that own these social media companies know this—but they do not care—it’s about bottom line—and Mark Zuckerberg has enough money already—he doesn’t need any more money—he has unfathomable amount money—for me pulling away from it is sort sort conscious attempt not feed machine—but it’s also conscious attempt cut through noise for my own emotional mental physical wellbeing.

However I do believe it’s irresponsible not stay informed current events so what I’ve been using is website called groundnews.com—they present all stories day—and then there’s bias rating—they show like supposed story ‘Randy does interview with Full Metal Jackie’ right? And then that’s main headline—and then underneath—it will show different versions same news story—and then it’ll show from which outlet—which way they lean whether left or right or centrist—and then it will show factuality rating bias rating because there’s bias so much news now—you know?

EITHER left or right—I just want facts.

Randy you were telling us what your methodology is for keeping sane keeping up date—and how social media can make us all crazy what is your overall goal these days when do hit social media?

I want cut through all invective pedantic finger wagging by these people—I just want journalist tell me what hell going on so I’m trying do that am very addicted news bit political junkie so have pull myself back only allow myself do twice day do computer—I don’t have internet browser my phone anymore.

Do you think your life is better this way?