LAMB OF GOD’s Producer Recalls The Struggle Of Adding Choruses To Ashes Of The Wake
Gene “Machine” Freeman, the producer behind Lamb Of God‘s 2004 album Ashes Of The Wake, recently shared an interesting tidbit about his contributions to the band’s sound during an interview with Metal Hammer. Known for their resistance to outside influences, Lamb Of God was initially hesitant to adopt Freeman‘s suggestions in the studio.
However, Freeman did manage to integrate some of his ideas into the album, notably in the song “Now You’ve Got Something To Die For.” Originally, the hook for the track was a single line. Freeman recalls, “I said, ‘If you were to repeat that, you’d get thousands of people chanting it back at you and it would really connect emotionally.'”
The band was initially opposed to the concept of repeating lyrics to create a chorus. Freeman described the process as challenging, stating, “The band were quite a closed book. I had to fight to get a lot of my ideas across to them. Even getting that over was tough. They didn’t like the idea of choruses. I managed to sneak a little bit of, dare I say it, pop ideas in there.”
Reflecting on Freeman‘s influence, Lamb Of God vocalist Randy Blythe acknowledged the producer’s impact, saying Freeman was “the guy who really broke down some of the walls that we had put up around us, the fortress that is Lamb Of God creatively.”
Despite never being released as a single, “Now You’ve Got Something To Die For” has become a staple in Lamb Of God‘s live performances and a fan favorite. According to setlist.fm, it is the third-most performed song by the band, with 977 live renditions. Only “Laid To Rest” and “Ruin” have been played more frequently.
Is Lamb Of God reissuing Ashes Of The Wake?
Lamb Of God recently announced the 20th anniversary edition of Ashes Of The Wake featuring new mixes by HEALTH, Justin K Broadrick (Godflesh, Jesu, etc.), and Kublai Khan TX and Malevolence, as well as demo and live versions of the album’s classic songs. The reissue is out August 30. Pre-orders are available here.
Where can I see Lamb Of God on tour?
Lamb Of God and Mastodon just started their co-headlining tour this month to play their 2004 albums Ashes Of The Wake and Leviathan in full. All dates will be opened by Kerry King and Malevolence, except for a few in the middle featuring Kerry King and Unearth.
Get the list of Lamb Of God‘s remaining dates with Mastodon, Kerry King, and Malevolence below and get your tickets here.
8/1 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
8/3 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
8/4 Manchester, NH SNHU Arena
8/6 Bangor, ME Maine Savings Amphitheatre
8/8 Reading, PA Santander Arena (w/ Kerry King & Unearth)
8/9 Cleveland, OH Jacobs Pavilion (w/ Kerry King & Unearth)
8/10 Sterling Heights, MI Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre @ Freedom Hill (w/ Kerry King & Unearth)
8/13 Moorhead, MN Bluestem Center For The Arts Amphitheater
8/15 Calgary, AB Scotiabank Saddledome
8/16 Penticton, BC South Okanagan Events Centre
8/17 Kent, WA accesso ShoWare Center
8/18 Portland, OR Theater of the Clouds
8/21 Los Angeles, CA The Kia Forum
8/23 Phoenix, AZ Arizona Financial Theatre
8/24 Rio Rancho, NM Rio Rancho Events Center
8/25 El Paso, TX El Paso County Coliseum
8/27 Magna, UT The Great Saltair
8/29 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre
8/31 Omaha, NE The Astro Amphitheater
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