LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe, one of extreme metal's most politically aware musicians who has written about social and political issues in the past, has told Consequence Of Sound that he didn't want the lyrics on band's upcoming self-titled album to be about President Donald Trump. "My disdain for him is no secret," Blythe said. "Before he ever got elected, people would ask me in the press, 'What do you think about Trump being president?' And [I would say], 'The man's a fucking idiot, and he's a criminal.' All you have to do is research his real estate dealings in New York City; it's a matter of public fucking record. So it's not like I'm scared to say, 'Oh, fuck Trump,' or something. But I think he's just a symptom of a larger sociological problem. "I started thinking about the lyrics to this record and then I started thinking about… I can't write this topical record about right now; I need to look at things in a broader picture," he continued. "I need to think, what has fostered this climate, this environment that has allowed this lunacy to happen? "The way I see things is everything has become hyper-materialistic. It reminds me of the '80s, kind of, on steroids — without all the cocaine, 'cause there's not as much coke now. But the glorification of possession and money and stuff as not just status symbols but as a pursuit of something that will bring you a feeling of eternal well-being, that's just accepted. And also the pursuit of fame. If you look at social media, people are promoting this false narrative about their lives, these curated presentations of their lives, which is ludicrous. No one ever puts up on social media a picture of them sitting on the can with diarrhea. But everybody has that — this is my fabulous life; me sitting on the shitter 'cause I got some bad sushi from the deli last night, or whatever. That's reality. "So I had to look at it and I had to think, where did all this start?" Randy added. "This has been an ongoing thing, and I see it going all the way back to the industrial revolution and the creation of the middle class, consumer culture and mass advertising. So that goes back quite a ways. So the record kind of stems from that. And it's what I view as a deeper problem rather than just the Orange Cheeto who says stupid things. "If he gets elected again, it's still gonna be over in four years. But the problems are much bigger than Donald Trump." LAMB OF GOD's new album will be released on May 8 via Epic Records. The follow-up to "VII: Sturm Und Drang" marks LAMB OF GOD's first recordings with Art Cruz, who joined the band last July as the replacement for the group's founding drummer, Chris Adler. "Lamb Of God" was recorded with longtime producer Josh Wilbur (KORN, MEGADETH, GOJIRA, TRIVIUM) and includes special guest appearances by Jamey Jasta (HATEBREED) and Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT).
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