As I Lay Dying interview (11/2008)
| With: | Tim Lambesis |
| Conducted by: | itsjoeymoose (in person) |
| Published: | 18.11.2008 |
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Band profile: |
As I Lay Dying |
As I Lay Dying are nearing the end of the Taste Of Chaos tour with Atreyu, Story Of The Year, MUCC and Horse The Band. I caught up with lead vocalist Tim Lambesis in the Liverpool Academy on 29/10/2008.
- You're currently touring the UK on the Taste Of Chaos tour with Atreyu, how do you feel the response has been compared to March 2008 when you were here last?
- It's kinda a strange tour because last time we were here, it was on a headline tour and the clubs were a bit smaller but they were all sold out. This time round the clubs are a lot bigger but the promotion hasn't been as great as we thought it would be, so while some of the clubs are big, the crowd hasn't been totally full.
- Well I heard this show in Liverpool was actually supposed to be in Preston.
- Well yeah this show is kinda messed cos it should have been in Preston but there was a problem and they haven't really updated the promotions.
- Yeah it's a bit weird cos on the Taste Of Chaos website it still says Preston for some reason.
- Yeah the promotion for this show has been very poor. Even though last time we came as a headliner it should have been a smaller tour, which it was because it was smaller clubs but I enjoyed the last tour more because it was promoted better with more people coming down.
- Have the other shows in the UK have been decent turnouts?
- Yeah there's been decent turnouts but when you play a bigger room, you really need the crowd to fill up the whole room otherwise it feels kinda strange. Certain places like London have been sold out but other places have been half empty so yeah it kinda varies.
- Do you feel people know the name 'As I Lay Dying' better now?
- Yeah definitely cos the idea for this tour was to play for a different audience. We normally play for a very 'metal' audience but on the Taste Of Chaos tour it's been a bit more on the 'lighter' side in terms of the audience and it being an all ages show.
- This year you've played the Warped Tour, some festivals in Europe as well as your own headline tour in the U.S, where do you feel has been the biggest or best show so far this year?
- I'd say some of my favourite shows are the smaller ones we played in Moscow, it was sold out with about 1,000 people and it wasn't a very big place but it was just crazy with everyone crammed in there and stage diving and so forth.
- I would have thought the bigger stages you would prefer, cos I saw you guys running around the stage and going crazy at Wacken this year which was very impressive I must say!
- Well yeah Wacken was a fun show just because of the sheer size of it. But you know the smaller venues are great because of as much energy as we put out from the stage, I feel those crowds give the same energy back and are just as crazy as we are.
- Do you feel you get the same response from the crowds no matter where you go, whether it's Europe, U.S, Australia etc?
- Naturally the crowds are bigger in some places. We're the biggest in the U.S but sometimes bands that we would open for in Europe would open for us in the States so yeah it can vary. For instance certain American bands like Trivium do extremely well in the UK but would open for us back home, so there is a difference but in terms of the crowd reactions, most are the same.
- I heard you guys did the Soundwave Festival in my home country Australia, how did that go? Was that your first time down under?
- No that was our third time down there, but yeah it was great and a similar festival to the Warped tour in the U.S with like twenty bands.
- Since you've been touring very frequently and now have four albums under your belt, are there any plans for a live DVD?
- Yeah actually, it's funny you ask cos as soon as we get home from the Taste Of Chaos tour we have three shows near our home town which we're gonna film but the DVD is also gonna have the story of the band and us explaining how we went from playing smaller venues to being one of the biggest bands in at least the American metal scene. So yeah it will be an interesting story represented by a mini-tour.
- So someone has been following you with a camera on tour?
- Yeah there's a friend of ours who's been following us and all the backstage shenanigans.
- Since 'An Ocean Between Us' came out in 2007, has the band had any discussions about the direction of the new album? Or has it just been focused on touring at the moment?
- Yeah I mean we all have some ideas in our heads, but each album we've done has been a snapshot of where we were at the time. 'An Ocean Between Us' is an album we're very proud of and naturally we're gonna change a little bit when we do our next album. I think our next album will be slightly more 'groove' orientated cos 'An Ocean Between Us' was generally more fast and thrashy, so our next album might have some tempos that people enjoyed from 'Shadows Are Security' and our older albums. It's hard to say so early, but we still want to keep the trademark guitar melodies of course.
- When you do work on a new album, do you like to take your time and not rush it or do you like to work under pressure and to a deadline?
- Well if we don't have a deadline we never really start writing or rehearsing so yeah we need that deadline. But once we have that deadline it gets us motivated to start working and we'll write as many songs as we can. Usually we try to write ten songs but we always end up doing more so that's why all the albums have twelve songs.
- Yeah I have noticed that, is twelve just a nice round figure?
- Well no it's just our goal is to write ten and we write too many songs. Some bands will cut off some songs they don't like as much, but with us it always seems to end up in twelve songs that end up on the album.
- Do you feel influenced by other bands when you're writing a new album? Like some bands state they've been listening to Pantera or Metallica a lot when writing an album for example.
- Well I think for me, influences are more subconscious. I could listen to Pantera or Metallica all day long like a lot of other metal bands, but our music doesn't sound anything like those bands in terms of the metal genre. But yeah there's kinda some subconscious influences has to how 'metal' should sound, like cool kick-drum patterns that Pantera do or the speed picking, thrash sound that Metallica are known for. But we certainly have our own brand of guitar melody that we put in there.
- You're in a genre of music that is quite saturated at the moment, did that make it hard for you at the start of your career when you were trying to get noticed?
- Well when we first started, we weren't the founders of this genre but I'd say we were one of the influential bands. So it was quite the opposite problem when we started cos there was only a handful of bands doing that sound successfully and after that a lot of what you could call 'metalcore' bands came along and mimicked our sound and a lot of the bands in that genre so yeah it is a flooded music scene but it wasn't that way when we started.
- I understand your current bass player/clean vocalist, Josh Gilbert, came on board after 'An Ocean Between Us' was written and about to be recorded, do you think he'll contribute more on the new record?
- It's still hard to know cos we haven't written any material together, just individual ideas. But I think he'll contribute by just being part of the band but the good news is we know he did great in the studio recording and that we can rely on him to develop his own parts and that makes it one less thing to worry about so the rest of the band can focus on song writing.
- Not to say your singing wasn't great, but I felt his parts really pushed 'An Ocean Between Us' up a notch, especially on songs like 'Forsaken' and 'I Never Wanted' for instance.
- Certainly, we love what he did.
- Obviously when you're a new band, the goal is generally to get signed, release an album and just tour and get noticed. So after four albums and worldwide success, what do you feel the goal is for you now?
- Well I think there's always new audiences, like younger music fans are coming along that are just discovering us and new genres. So that's why Taste Of Chaos is a good tour cos it draws a younger crowd and hopefully we can turn them on to not only our band, but a lot of other bands in our genre.
- So conquer the world basically?
- Well just to keep reaching new fans and to play songs that our old fans love as well.
- Your video clips 'Nothing Left' and 'The Sound Of Truth' are somewhat connected with the same story running through both, who's idea was that?
- The foundation of the idea came from our guitar player Nick, he kinda had this idea of this broken down future theme where everybody is following the rules and all that. It's influenced by movies like 1984 and Equilibrium or whatever. Lyrically it didn't really fit in too well so I kinda modified it to fit with the lyrics and then Nick and I presented it to our director who took it from there. But yeah his name is Brian Thompson and he's a really young and ambitious director.
- Yeah I thought it was a great idea you don't see very often, in terms of the same story in both video clips.
- Yeah it's a bit different.
- So there's no plans to do any more video clips?
- No, well for this DVD we're shooting it'll take us a few months to edit it. But we'll probably release a video for 'I Never Wanted', which will just be elements and different parts from the DVD, like backstage and live footage, so yeah a little bit of the personality of the band mixed in with the music.
- OK, that's it, thanks Tim.
- Thanks, no problem.
Interview by Joe Garland.
Comments
Comments: 28
Visited by: 201 users
| Introspekrieg Totemic Lust Elite Posts: 2749  |
"But we certainly have our own brand of guitar melody that we put in there." - You're in a genre of music that is quite saturated at the moment, did that make it hard for you at the start of your career when you were trying to get noticed? I like that question, very good transition, you kinda turned the heat up on them a bit there. Nice interview.
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| itsjoeymoose Posts: 3  |
Thanks man. The jump from "Shadows Are Security" to "An Ocean Between Us" was a big one in terms of their sound, hopefully they can do the same for the next record. They definitely wanted to get rid of the standard "metalcore" sound.
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| DrunkenFuck Thrasher! Posts: 455  |
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| Inlé Posts: 334  |
Written by DrunkenFuck on 19.11.2008 at 14:09 Too right, acting as if they're like a death or thrash band or something. Notice the namedrop of Trivium too, they're all in it together.
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| bluemobiusx Account deleted |
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| Thryce Retired Staff Elite Posts: 4346  |
Not a single word on Austrian Death Machine and Ahhnold? Brutal bummer.
---- Your favorite band sucks.
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| LeChron James Helvetesfossen Posts: 3561  |
Written by Inlé on 19.11.2008 at 15:05 CONSPIRACY of some kind. if i were not retarded i could put words to the conspiracy im theorizing but since i am, i cant.
---- Kick Ass, Die Young Less is More Stay Pure Stay Poor Music was my life, music brought me to life and music is how I will be remembered long after I leave this life. When I die there will be a final waltz in my head that only I can hear.
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| Inlé Posts: 334 |
Not a conspiracy, all it is is that they aren't stupid, and that they know that the "cores" are becoming a dirty word among people of the trendy persuasion. Therefore pretending to be death or thrash metal while playing metalcore or deathcore is an extremely sensible thing to do in terms of getting the trendhopping fanbase to like them. You give them the music they want, and they can pretend they listen to "DEATH METALZ!1" Only drawback is that two genres of music that they don't give a shit about become falsely labelled among the majority.
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| Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Staff Posts: 9718  |
Written by DrunkenFuck on 19.11.2008 at 14:09 Hahaha. How did I just know there was going to be incredibly intelligent posts like this made? Good interview nonetheless.
---- "I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck." - George Carlin
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| DrunkenFuck Thrasher! Posts: 455 |
Written by Doc G. on 25.11.2008 at 00:34 Well, bands that suck are bound to get comments like that you know  
---- THRASH!!!
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| Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Staff Posts: 9718 |
Written by DrunkenFuck on 25.11.2008 at 12:26 Yes, but its kind of funny how there was no real reason for you to post that. I found it to be an interesting interview despite the fact that I don't listen to the band. I really don't see the purpose of coming in here and posting something like that...it just shows you as a bit immature. I doubt you actually read the interview, how do I know you didn't even bother reading the interview, just saw the band name and felt the need to show everyone how tr00 you are by calling the band posers, perhaps if you said something legitimately negative about the band regarding the interview that would make you seem perhaps a wee bit less childish. No one cares about your pointless 2-cents.
---- "I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck." - George Carlin
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| Elio Red Nightmare Posts: 4920  |
Written by Doc G. on 25.11.2008 at 12:32 PNWD! And rightly too.
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| DrunkenFuck Thrasher! Posts: 455 |
Written by Doc G. on 25.11.2008 at 12:32 Yeah I read the interview, and it was okay actually. I just stated that the band are a bunch of posers. I'm allowed to comment just as any other. If you don't care about what I have to say, just ignore it man. I'm not trying to be true or anything, they have their thing and I have mine, I just think they're posing, appearing to be all "metal", that's all. So basically I don't really give a crap about what you think of my comment. I'm not trying to be an idiot (though you might think I am anyway), but merely stated my opinion of the band. You provoked all this.
---- THRASH!!!
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| Introspekrieg Totemic Lust Elite Posts: 2749 |
Let me take this opportunity to thank you all for being on this show and good luck in the decision you make. I hope you can work everything out. You know we wonder why they stay. Why a person puts up with such outrageous mistreatment. The world tells them their crazy and they ought to just make legitimate posts; but they respond to such overwhelming logic with a seeming innocence of romance. "But I love them", they say. And they hang in there offering their lover more loyalty then they deserve by any standard. But is it love or is it dependency based on an insecurity? "Gosh, if they leave me I'll be all alone and who else will love me?" Look, a Metal Storm relationship based on that can't make it. Nobody has to accept being insulted on or treated poorly. Our guests today want to be loved by their fellow Metal Stormers; but, they aren't going to be loved by anyone who doesn't respect them. And they won't be respected if they keep putting up poor posts. These people are treating their fellow Metal Stormers poorly because they can. These people need to be told "No more" and "I am sorry for spamming, I will put more thought into my future posts". And a person who says that and means it is a person who will, in fact, be respected and therefore inevitably loved. More importantly by someone whose love is worth having. Till next time, take care of yourself and each other. That's my final thought.
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
I just love it how some people call As I Lay Dying posers when they themselves have Pretty Maids in their fav bandlist, a band that were considered ultimate posers by legit metal bands and fans in the 80s. Now those sort of bands is what posing was all about. Othe rposers were Motley Crue, Poison, Warrant, Cinderella, etc.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| wormdrink414 Elite Posts: 1295  |
I'm getting sick of seeing these metalcore lameasses being mistaken for metal by the general public. If I go to walmart and see a trivium or as i lay dying cd, i'm going to recognize this as a war on metal.
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| Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Staff Posts: 9718 |
Written by wormdrink414 on 27.11.2008 at 08:56 Yes...because somehow because metalcore exists metal can't, therefore they are trying destroy metal! I'm really curious as to how this "war" will pan out. I really don't feel like repeating myself, so if you will please read some of my former posts under this topic.
---- "I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck." - George Carlin
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| Inlé Posts: 334 |
Written by wormdrink414 on 27.11.2008 at 08:56 You should see HMV, they put "my chem" and fall out boy in the "metal" section. Seriously that's some real life comedy right there. The general public have no clue if this is what busniesses and magazines push on them.
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| bluemobiusx Account deleted |
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| V8Thrasher Posts: 30  |
Written by wormdrink414 on 27.11.2008 at 08:56 people like you need to get a hobby, or better yet a life. its just music, its just genre. metalcore is a subgenre of metal like it or not. ten years from now, any metal history title that doesnt include numetal or metalcore will be severely mocked for being inaccurate. you dont need to whine about it not being metal, just because you dont like metalcore. it is metal. you realize this "war on metal" will only include the people who wrote "i need to get a life" in the new years resolutions forum, and the HUGE majority of diehard metal heads who fall under the i need to get a life category, like im guessing...yourself 
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| V8Thrasher Posts: 30 |
Written by [user id=20536] on 30.11.2008 at 05:48 its uneducated people that have nothing better to do than sit on their lazy asses all day long and rant and whine about bands they dont like. when really 90% of the populus thinks their music is shit.
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| V8Thrasher Posts: 30 |
Written by Inlé on 19.11.2008 at 15:05 ive never known anyone who listen to as i lay dying or trivium thnk of them as death or thrash. ive heard trivium be called metalcore with a splash of thrash, but never death wtf.
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| Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Staff Posts: 9718 |
Written by Inlé on 27.11.2008 at 18:17 Very old comment, I know, but reading it kind of threw me. I work at an HMV. We don't put either of those in the metal section. Never have.
---- "I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck." - George Carlin
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306  |
Written by Doc G. on 28.04.2011 at 02:10 The HMV here doesn't either (I'm assuming it's a corporate planogram type thing so your store layouts look similar country-wide). There's metalcore and deathcore too, but the closest non-metal bands I've seen in the metal section are Blink-182, Papa Roach, Sum 41, etc.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Staff Posts: 9718 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 28.04.2011 at 02:38 Even then, that sounds like a mistake on a managers part. Blink 182 and Sum41 generally get put into punk, as for Papa Roach I can't properly recall right at this moment. As far as I know it's a nationwide planogram type thing. All CDs are categorized before they even reach our store.
---- "I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck." - George Carlin
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| wormdrink414 Elite Posts: 1295 |
Written by wormdrink414 on 27.11.2008 at 08:56 So spoke the Dethklok fan.
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| Guib Thrash Talker Posts: 3220  |
Why do I always end up in a thread where people are confronting eachother ! OMG Also nice post there Intro I agree@wormdrink414: I would like to say that, the metal posers are in the ears of the one listening Written by Introspekrieg on 25.11.2008 at 19:20
---- - Headbanging with mostly clogged arteries to that stuff - Guib's List Of Essential Albums - Also Thrash Paradise Thrash Here
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| Introspekrieg Totemic Lust Elite Posts: 2749 |
Wow... now that's a blast from the past. I stand by my statement. The beating of dead horses still continues on today though...
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