Lamb Of God drummer Chris Adler says he is impressed with the quality of material as the group continue songwriting sessions for their 8th studio album.
Frontman Randy Blythe previously confirmed the follow-up to 2012’s Resolution would be issued in 2015, around the same time he publishes Dark Days: My Tribulation And Trials – due July 10 via Da Capo Press – a book about his Czech manslaughter ordeal.
The documentary As The Palaces Burn was released on DVD last autumn. It reveals Blythe’s process through the Czech legal system and the way in which the death of fan Daniel Nosek affected the band, colleagues and friends.
Regarding work on Lamb Of God’s 8th album, Adler tells SiriusXM’s Liquid Metal: “It’s great. I guess the thing that I was overwhelmed with was the idea of us taking the year off of 2014 and then have us come together basically around now and start putting things together.
“But, as usual, everybody is a little antsy and wanting to jam, and it wasn’t, like, ‘Oh, hey, Willie has an idea and Mark has this kinda cool solo thing he wants to add on top of it.’ Both of these guys came in with about 50 different song ideas.
“So what’s been great is just going through all these ideas, which are all really good, and being able to say, ‘Okay, we have this much material. Let’s pick the top 10 or top 15 or 20, and just keep working on that. Then they get upset, because number 42 had their favourite part. So, okay, grab that favourite part from 42 and let’s make song six way better. So it’s been that kind of a process as we go along.”
Adler hears a continuity in the material as its being created and reconfigured.
He says: “I’ve noticed the guys are really writing the kind of stuff that I find myself kind of, I don’t know, I don’t wanna say ‘singing along,’ because there’s no vocals on them yet, but the melodies of the ideas really stick with me. It’s great while I’m listening to it, I’m impressed, it’s over my head, it blows me away, but when I’m done with it, I couldn’t tell you how it goes.
“Our goal is that the guys that’ll write the songs that stick with you are the guys that are gonna stick around. So I’m really impressed with what these guys have been doing on a songwriting level — stepping it up and writing stuff that kinda sticks with you.”
Lamb of God return to the UK to perform at Download on June 14.
Lamb Of God are the cover stars in the new issue of Metal Hammer magazine, which can be ordered here.
