by Jeff Brinn / Schwegweb.com
Schwegweb had a chance to sit down with Tim Lambesis, vocals, of the band As I Lay Dying. Here is what came from it.
Schwegweb: Has Ozzfest so far been a good venture for the band and if so what’s been the largest positive thing for As I Lay Dying?
Tim Lambesis: “Ozzfest has really helped us reach new fans and play for a lot of new people. A good amount of the crowd is people that rarely seek out new music on their own, so Ozzfest puts us right in front of their face. The outdoor mid afternoon stage is not as intimate as a typical club show but the crowd usually makes up for it.”
As I Lay Dying seem to bring more to the mix when it comes to vocals and song arrangment then most newer acts, do you find that As I Lay Dying can withstand all the over saturation of so called metal-core acts being signed?
“All of the new “metal-core” bands will get lost in the mix because they will have a hard time finding a sense of identity. I really believe that we will always stand out because we do our sound better than the new bands and we’ve been doing it much longer. Over saturation is a problem with most styles of music so bands need to focus on being good at many small things in order to be good a whole.”
Are you looking forward to going out on the road with Slipknot in the fall, any changes to your set (new songs)?
“We’ll keep adding new songs to our set list more as people become familiar with “Shadows are Security.” For this reason alone I look forward to touring in the fall, but of course we are also honored to be touring with Slipknot. They’ve proven you can make a career being as heavy as you want to be. They have also supported the underground scene bringing out bands like Lamb of God and us.”
Has the sudden interest in the band been a huge surprise for you and if so what do you think makes As I Lay Dying stand out from the rest of the bands in your genre of metal?
“I’m as surprised as anyone because I always assumed I was playing underground music. Now that heavy sounds are more accepted there are hundreds of bands copy a certain sound. It is difficult to do anything 100% original without going out of your way to be wacky. That is why we don’t think about being weird or different as much as we focus on good song writing. We just want to do what we do better than anyone else copying us.”
Any plans on going to Europe any time soon, if so where are you really looking forward to playing at?
“We are about to leave for a full European tour at the end of the month (September 23). I look forward to Germany because we’ve always been treated well there. The fans are very appreciative.”
What’s your views on all the resurgence of metal and has it opened doors for you that might have not been there a few years ago?
“Everything seems to go in cycles because metal was big in the early 90’s. We just didn’t think it would come around this fast. The resurgence of metal have definitely opened doors for us because I didn’t think metal bands could sell six digits worth of records.”
As I Lay Dying seem to tour relentlessly, any plans of taking a break any time soon to write new music or do you write on the road as well?
“We don’t have time or enough sanity to write on the road so we’ve learned to bottle all of our ideas up and write quickly when we get home. “Shadows are Security” took us about two month of song writing give us the confidence to go to the studio.”
Do you think that the metal-core scene has more room to grow or do you feel like it’s as big as it will get?
“I think the scene will grow for a while before it becomes too much. Even when the scene hits that point, I think that all of the bigger bands will continue to thrive. Death metal may not be big anymore but any metal fan should still know who Cannibal Corpse is.”
Who has been some of your more memorible bands that you have toured with (reasons why)?
“A friendships have been much more memorable than music but I would say that Himsa is the best combination of awesome guys and an amazing band. We also enjoyed the time we had with Every Time I Die and Sworn Enemy.”
What bands on the scene do you think are overlooked that deserve the respect that As I Lay Dying have come to have?
“Himsa is the one band that is currently overlooked. At least until their next record comes out. I’ve heard it right now but it doesn’t come out until February. I also think that Bloodlined Caligraphy is an amazing band too.”
What would you like to tell all the people that told you that As I Lay Dying would never amount to anything?
“I would like to ask them if they absolutely love what they do for a living. I never listened to those people because I was pursing something I love. Failure or success, I ‘ve enjoyed the whole process.”
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