In a new interview with SPIN , LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe was asked why he thinks some bands are so hesitant to criticize the White House in their lyrics. He responded: "Because they're fucking pussies. How about that? [ Laughs ] Punk rock, hardcore, metal, it's always been rooted in social commentary, and not many people are doing that.
"To me, I did not write a single song about [ Donald ] Trump because my disdain for him is no secret. It's kind of foolish to write a record about that guy because there's no one topical problem you can pin down, since everything is shifting so quickly these days. Right now, it's just this huge shitstorm, and reality is subjective. People seem to have abandoned common sense. The media has a great deal to do with that, and the Internet has a great deal to do with that.
"I am pretty disdainful of the system as a whole right now, and that's one thing that helped get Trump elected," he continued. "People were feeling — rightfully so — that the sort of inside, old school guard of Washington, D.C., were not presenting us options. People were tired of dealing with the political establishment and I don't blame them. I think a lot of people were like, 'Well, Donald Trump … he's rich, he's from outside the system — let's vote for him.' While I understand that urge, Ronald McDonald is also rich and from outside the political establishment. That doesn't mean he should be president of the United fucking States. I also think — and I was not a fan of Hillary [ Clinton ] either — but I've had people say, 'Oh, you don't like Trump . You must love Hillary .' 'No, fuck you.' She was a shark as well. If you look back at the history of the Clintons , going back to Arkansas, it's fucking nuts. They were savages.
"Right now, in American politics, us being restricted to this two-party system, and those are the only real, viable options for a vote to count, I think it's indicative of the fact that the system is failing," he added. 'It's failing, and I still believe the ideals that America was founded on are great, and I think there is hope. But the operating system needs an overhaul. Just like a computer … you wouldn't use a 20-year-old computer today. Why should our system remain basically the same when everything is changing so rapidly? Technology is a big part of the problem. If you think about, as human beings, we haven't evolved much at all since cavemen. We have the same body, the same brains, everything. Not much has really evolved, but the things we are expected to deal with have changed so incredibly rapidly since the advent of the computer. It's a constant intake of information. How are you supposed to process it all? How are you supposed to put anything into any sort of compartment that makes any sort of sense within your daily life?"
LAMB OF GOD 's self-titled album is due on June 19 via Epic Records . The follow-up to "VII: Sturm Und Drang" marks LAMB OF GOD 's first recordings with Art Cruz , who joined the band last July as the replacement for the group's founding drummer, Chris Adler .
"Lamb Of God" was recorded with longtime producer Josh Wilbur ( KORN , MEGADETH , GOJIRA , TRIVIUM ) and includes special guest appearances by Jamey Jasta ( HATEBREED ) and Chuck Billy ( TESTAMENT ).
