John Campbell shares how the fire still burns at the core of Lamb of God
Holding court backstage at the first ever Knotfest Finland, correspondent Sophie K. managed to score some time with John Campbell, bassist and one fifth of the Virginian groove metal juggernaut that is Lamb of God ahead of their performance at the sold out gathering.
Juggling the duties of being an internationally-travelled metal musician and dad, Campbell simultaneously took a call from his son and fielded questions regarding the band's forthcoming full length, Omens. Explaining how the band changed their process this time around, Campbell detailed how for the first time Lamb of God opted to record the songs on Omens all in the same room - a departure from their usual MO which had the band working individually then assembling the songs as the sum of those parts.
As for the change, Campbell chalked it up to two simple explanations - one, longtime producer and trusted collaborator Josh Wilbur had the idea and two, given Lamb of God has been at this for so long, a change was due to try and achieve a new energy on the finished product. If the singles in "Nevermore" and the title track are any indicator, mission accomplished.
Staying on the topic of longevity and the band's veteran status in the landscape of modern metal, Sophie K echoed the universal sentiment of respect for Lamb of God and their continued domination. More than two decades in, the band seems to find a new gear with each album and further assert their hierarchy as one of the best to ever do it.
For Campbell, the formula for that durability really comes down to the band's ever-burning passion to produce at such a high level. The bassist explained that the band doesn't take their place in space for granted and still very much love and appreciate being able to share their craft with fans the world over.
As for how the band manages to keep those fires burning, Campbell shared that there are still firsts that the band have yet to experience and those things are what contribute to the excitement of the band. Referencing the new way the band recorded Omens and their recent first trip to Romania, Campbell's take is very much that Lamb of God still has plenty to see, do, and conquer - so the train will continue to roll.
As for what is on the immediate horizon, along with the arrival of Omens in October, Lamb of God will showcase their rank with massive Omens Tour that begins next month. Paired with Killswitch Engage, the roster of supporting artists will rotate and feature a broad spectrum of aggression, further reiterating the band's extensive reach. Baroness, Motionless In White, Spiritbox, Animals As Leaders, Suicide Silence, and Fit For An Autopsy will all join the caravan in what is already being billed as one of the biggest metal tours of the year with Lamb of God at the helm. Not to mention the band's State of Unrest European trek with Kreator, Thy Art Is Murder and Gatecreeper to close out the year.
Stream the interview with John Campbell of Lamb of God and Sophie K. at Knotfest Finland below.
Omens arrives October 7th via Epic Records. Pre-order the album – HERE
Lamb of God w/ Killswitch Engage, Motionless In White, Fit For An Autopsy
Oct 07 – Sacramento, CA – Aftershock Festival *No Fit For An Autopsy
Lamb of God w/ Killswitch Engage, Spiritbox, Fit For An Autopsy
Oct 09 – Vancouver, BC – Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre
Oct 10 – Kent (Seattle), WA – Accesso ShoWare Center
Oct 11 – Portland, OR – Theater of the Clouds
Lamb of God w/ Killswitch Engage, Animals As Leaders, Fit For An Autopsy
Oct 13 – Inglewood, CA – YouTube Theater
Oct 14 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Federal Theater
Oct 15 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
Oct 16 – El Paso, TX – UTEP Don Haskins Center
Oct 18 – San Antonio, TX – Freeman Coliseum
Oct 19 – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall
Oct 20 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
State Of Unrest Tour with Kreator, Thy Art Is Murder and Gatecreeper
Nov 18 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Forum Black Box
Nov 19 – Stockholm, Sweden – Fryshuset Arenan
Nov 21 – Oulu, Finland – Teatria
Nov 22 – Helsinki, Finland – Ice Hall Black Box
Nov 24 – Warsaw, Poland – Stodola
Nov 26 – Munich, Germany – Zenith
Nov 27 – Berlin, Berlin – Columbiahalle
Nov 29 – Tilburg, Netherlands – O13
Nov 30 – Brussels, Brussels – Ancienne Belgique
Dec 02 – Ludwigsburg, Bw – Mhp Arena (Arena Ludwigsburg)
Dec 03 – Essen, Germany – Grugahalle
Dec 04 – Saarbrücken, Germany – Saarlandhalle
Dec 06 – Madrid, Spain – Riviera
Dec 07 – Barcelona, Spain – Razzmatazz
Dec 09 – Wiesbaden, Germany – Schlachthof
Dec 10 – Hamburg, Germany – Edel Optics Arena
Dec 11 – Leipzig, Germany – Haus Auensee
Dec 13 – London – O2 Academy Brixton
Dec 14 – Glasgow – O2 Academy
Dec 15 – Birmingham – O2 Academy
Dec 16 – Bristol – O2 Academy
Dec 18 – Manchester – Academy
Dec 20 – Paris, France – L’olympia
Dec 21 – Dübendorf, Switzerland – Samsung Hall Zurich