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Live Taste of Chaos 2006 pics
(Winter 2006) by George Dionne Tour warhorses As I Lay Dying have been crisscrossing the country as part
of the Taste of Chaos Tour 2006. And let me tell you, there isn't a band
like them that's getting a bigger reception. From the time the band steps
on stage until the end of their set, the crowd is at their command. Last
year As I Lay Dying released Shadows and Security (read
CD review); their
second full-length for Metal Blade Records. In 2006, Metal Blade will re-release
the groups early recordings, and As I Lay Dying will headline the Sounds
of the Underground 2006 trek.
RIL: If knew absolutely nothing about As I Lay Dying, how would
you describe the group’s music to me?
TL: I would say we have a very aggressive sound, with
a strong sense of melody. The music is generally metal, but has progressive
elements to it I guess.
With the vocals, it’s usually very aggressive, with a chorus that’s
clean.
RIL: When and where did the band form?
TL: San Diego, in February of 2001.
RIL: How did you guys know each other? How did you come to be?
TL: Jordan and I started the band. We didn’t really know each other.
We knew of each others bands. We knew that we were two musicians that play
music along the same lines, and had a similar passion for it. We really didn’t
know each other very well.
RIL: Is the group’s name derived from the William Faulkner
novel As I Lay Dying?
TL: Yes, yes it was.
RIL: What was it about that book that made you want to name the band after
it?
TL: To be totally honest with you, it wasn’t a direct correlation in
meaning; it was just that we liked the way the name sounded. We noticed the
novel, and when bands are looking for names, and you can’t find anything,
you start looking for stuff around you that may bring up ideas. That novel,
the name, had a certain ring to it that fit the sound of our band.
RIL: You’re currently touring with A Taste of Chaos and you’re
going to be headlining the Sounds of the Underground tour. Do you prefer
the festival atmosphere or do you prefer the headlining club-type tour?
TL: I think the club tours are more intimate, and for
me they’re more
livable. I love going to see bands in clubs. Festivals are great because
they give a lot of up-and-coming bands a chance to play for a large audience.
We’ve done Ozzfest and A Taste of Chaos, so now we’re in a position
that we can do a headlining event where we can give other bands a chance
to play for a large audience. It’s sort of returning the favor I guess.
RIL: I saw you play in Massachusetts on the Taste of Chaos tour
and the fans were really into you guys. It really makes sense that you’re
going to be moving it to a headlining position.
TL: Like every band, they eventually have to do it. It was like perfect timing
for us.
RIL: Whose performance have you enjoyed watching at the Taste of Chaos shows?
TL: Visually, I think Story of the Year. I mean, they
move around like it’s
an aerobics class on stage. Even if you don’t like the music, you have
all of that going on. I like watching them and how much energy they put into
there live show.
RIL: What band are you looking forward to catching at the Sounds of the
Underground tour?
TL: I think that Cannibal Corpse is very legendary
for death metal, when you think of all the types…not to stereotype death metal, but Cannibal
Corpse is the perfect example. Seeing them every night is like….bands
like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest started the movement back in the day and
Camel Corpse started their own movement too.
RIL: Are you going to be doing any shows between the two festival shows?
TL: We’re going to Japan and Australia. We’re
going to try and stay out of the US for a little bit to keep it fresh, so
when we come back
the sound is real good.
RIL: You’re re-releasing your early independent albums in
May. How has the band changed musically since those releases compared to
your current
album Shadows are Security?
TL: Our oldest material I think is much darker, and maybe more simplistic.
We were a heavy band and just getting started, so we were playing anything
that sounded sort of haunting. I think our true sound began to unfold with
our second recording, which put more diversity in our sound with melodic
guitars and the feeling of a chorus every once and a while. So the second
recording, which was an EP I think, is what got us started into what we are
doing now.
RIL: I read somewhere that A I Lay Dying was a Christian band, is that true?
TL: Yes, all five of us are Christians actually.
RIL: How does your faith influence the music on Shadows of Security?
TL: As far as the lyrics are concerned, I write a lot
about the need to change, and through faith, how to grow in that process.
Whenever you’re writing
about issues like that, your world appreciation comes through. I face similar
things that you and everybody else might face, but I’m writing about
them through a Christian perspective.
RIL: Do you find it difficult keeping up with your Christian values
while you’re on tour where there is so much temptation?
TL: There’s some temptation, but I don’t think there’s
a whole lot more than working any other job back at home. With bands and
on tour it’s a whole lot more up front whether they want to party,
or looking for a new girlfriend every five minutes. I think that’s
stuff you miss in the regular business world; it’s more in a sly and
sneaky kind of way there. I really think that our decisions and the way we
want to live are applied to anything that we do.
RIL: Have you experienced any backlash from combining your faith
with what was once known as ‘the Devil’s music?’
TL: When we were first getting started it was a little
difficult for us to build a name for ourselves. Eventually the other bands
got to know us, and
even though we weren’t the stereotype, we were down to earth guys and
we had a great time hanging out with all the other bands. Once other bands
were willing to take us on tour it wasn’t an issue. Most people I think
are looking for great music.
RIL: What songs from your latest album are your favorites? You can’t
say all of them.
TL: I like the song “Confined,” the second song on our CD. It
has a great amount of diversity to the chorus. There’s a song called “Empty
Hearts” that’s sort of the darker side of what we sound like,
and that song to me is like the most in-your-face and relentless the way
it’s played.
RIL: You produced Sworn Enemy’s latest release Beginning
of the End, how did that come about?
TL: They were supposed to go with another producer,
and at the last minute he couldn’t work with them. The guitar player,
being a songwriter, he called me as a friend and expressed his frustration
and let me know what position
they were in. I offered that I would have a great time producing their record,
if they were willing to come out to California. It was kind of a spontaneous
thing, but they talked to their manager, bought plane tickets, and made it
all happen. It worked out great because it was right after we finished Shadows
of Security, so we had a great sense of confidence. If I was able to do that
with my own band, then you know working with another band with an outside perspective
would be very, very similar.
RIL: Do you plan on producing any other albums, or was it just a favor to
a friend?
TL: No, it’s something that I have been interested
in for a while, but we were on tour so often that it just happened to work
out that time.
If we have a good amount of time off, I would love to produce other bands.
RIL: You list your arch enemy as DayDay Perez, who is that?
TL: (Laughs) I’m going to get a picture of him up there, but that’s
a friend of mine from back home that looks almost exactly like me. Every
time he would sell merchandise for us at shows, kids would come up to him
and think he was me and ask him for autographs. He’s actually a good
friend of mine.
RIL: What’s next for As I Lay Dying after the summer tour?
TL: We’ll wrap up things overseas and try to play a couple of places
that we had never played over there. For the most part we’re going
to start focusing on the new record at that point. This September I’m
going to be building a little home studio, so we will start recording new
ideas for the next record then.
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TIM
LAMBESIS
