If you're familiar with the raging Lamb Of God track 512, named after one of Randy Blythe's three cell numbers from his time inside Czech Republic's Pankrác Prison, you'll know of the shocking story which led to the frontman being charged with the manslaughter of a fan in 2012.
Possibly one of the most heart-breaking stories in metal history, Blythe was arrested in the Czech Republic after accidentally pushing 19-year-old fan Daniel Nosek offstage, after he rushed towards him, at a show two years prior. The injuries that Nosek sustained from the fall led to his death, and Blythe's subsequent arrest, which saw him spend 37 days in a Prague prison. In 2013, the frontman was found not guilty.
Now, while in conversation on SiriusXM's Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk, Blythe has revealed that he "wouldn't mind" returning to the country to perform, as long as the circumstances were "right".
"I don't rule it out. But it would have to be under the right circumstances. I mean, I'm [legally] allowed to go there" he explains. "But unless things were worked out in advance with certain people, I think it would be rude to go back there.
"Because if I went back there to play a show, it would be huge news. And there's a family who's still missing a son there. So I don't wish them to be any more upset than they already are; they've suffered enough.
"So, if the circumstances were right and we had their blessing or whatever, I wouldn't mind going and playing a show and then donating the money to charity or something. But other than that, Lamb Of God really has no business going there, if the circumstances aren't right, 'cause I don't want to cause anyone any further emotional duress."
The vocalist briefly touched upon the subject in 2020, when answering fan questions on Reddit AMA. "I would love to play in the Czech Republic again — I have nothing against the Czech people, and I was not mistreated there" he said.
"Eventually I think we might play there again, but it will 100 percent have to be with the cooperation of the family of the young man who died, and I would want to give the money from the show to a charity they choose.
"If we played there, it would be a huge news story, and I do not wish to cause the young man's family anymore pain — they did no wrong, and were not cruel to me at all; in fact they showed me great kindness. But they have suffered enough, so it is out of respect to them we have not returned. I hope the Czech fans understand."
As well as 512, which featured on Lamb Of God's 2015 album VII: Sturm Und Drang, Blythe also wrote Still Echoes inspired by his prison experience. The songs were written while he was in Pankrac Prison, a dilapidated facility built in the 1880s that had been used for executions by the Nazis during World War II.
The singer's experience also led him to write his 2015 memoir Dark Days.
