Alright RVA has been around for awhile and over the years we have had some amazing times and interviews. Coming out of a 2 bedroom row house on Floyd Avenue, RVA was born on April 15th, 2005 from a group of frustrated and motivated people needing an outlet for their ideas. The original cast was amazing, from driving around in a really old Volvo 240DL wagon (affectionately called the Bricklayer) because none of us had a vehicle to having meetings on the floor cause we didn’t have room for the staff, the first year of RVA was stupid tough. Anyway, no need to get too far into all the crap that we went through but leading up to our actual birthday we thought it would be fun to reprint some of the old interviews and revisit our growing pains. Enjoy our awkwardness.
The first one to post has to be our first big scoop with Lamb Of God. Randy Blythe and the guys of Lamb of God have been mad supportive since the beginning of the magazine and this interview is one of the funniest we have ever run. He totally has fun with us on this and made us feel like rookies but you know what – we fucking were! These guys were bigger than life and the new face of American Metal and they loved this town. No stress. So we sent a very, very young Ryan Kent to get this and you have to read it…
Alright RVA has been around for awhile and over the years we have had some amazing times and interviews. Coming out of a 2 bedroom row house on Floyd Avenue, RVA was born on April 15th, 2005 from a group of frustrated and motivated people needing an outlet for their ideas. The original cast was amazing, from driving around in a really old Volvo 240DL wagon (affectionately called the Bricklayer) because none of us had a vehicle to having meetings on the floor cause we didn’t have room for the staff, the first year of RVA was stupid tough. Anyway, no need to get too far into all the crap that we went through but leading up to our actual birthday we thought it would be fun to reprint some of the old interviews and revisit our growing pains. Enjoy our awkwardness.
The first one to post has to be our first big scoop with Lamb Of God. Randy Blythe and the guys of Lamb of God have been mad supportive since the beginning of the magazine and this interview is one of the funniest we have ever run. He totally has fun with us on this and made us feel like rookies but you know what – we fucking were! These guys were bigger than life and the new face of American Metal and they loved this town. No stress. So we sent a very, very young Ryan Kent to get this and you have to read it…
The first time I saw Halo of Locusts I got so drunk the pizza guy from Alley Katz had to drive me home. I had been drinking with the guitar player Chris and I ended up jumping around on the main floor with a heavily tattooed bald guy called Saint James. That’s what Jaigermeister does to me. Unfortunately I couldn’t remember a single song or make out any of the words going through my head. This time when I saw Halo I made sure I wasn’t so drunk. I talked with Halo’s tour manager who I know from a band called Sic Seed. He set up an interview with D. Randall Blythe, singer for not only Halo of Locusts but Richmond’s own metal heavy weights Lamb of God. This show was fantastic. West Virginia’s Byzantine played just before Halo and completely set the mood for an all out break your nose show. The music was so heavy it felt like Kathy Bates was sitting on my face. After the show ended Randy suggested we go to McCormick’s on 18th street to do the interview. We sat in a booth and got some beers and began working.
He said who he was, “My name is Randy. I sing for a band called Lamb of God and another one called Halo of Locusts” and the interview was underway.
What’s different about Halo of Locusts compared to Lamb of God?
We’re not nearly as technical as Lamb of God and if you’re familiar with doom metal, kind of southern sludge rock kind of style. Bands like Eyehategod, Weedeater, all that stuff. There’s a few elements of that but we have some technical aspects as well but it’s a little more rock n’ roll than Lamb of God.
How did the Sounds of the Underground Tour go with you guys?
It went really well except for the fucking interview I did for your magazine. It got deleted. Did you hear about that? (ed. note – Totally my fault. – Tony)
Yeah, I heard it didn’t get recorded.
No, it got recorded and they used the wrong format. I’m really looking forward to being in RVA Magazine. There’s no more Punch-Line. Style (Weekly) sucks my fucking fat cock. Fuck Style Weekly, you know I don’t care. If anyone in Style reads this – fuck yourself. It’s whack. It’s West End bullshit. But Sounds of the Underground went really well except for the RVA Magazine interview getting erased.
When you played Ozzfest, man, how did that feel?
Alright, I’m going to break your balls because I know you’re a young child and you’re a kid. That is the stupidest question ever. Ozzfest, oh, it felt like an enema. What do you think it felt like? Of course it felt great. I mean playing in front of thousands of people every day. I hung out with Black Sabbath. Are you fucking kidding me?
Did you meet Ozzy?
Bill Ward called me about six months ago. The drummer from Black Sabbath called me. I flipped the fuck out.
Bill Ward fucking called you!
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah it’s fucking crazy. But what’s it like to be on Ozzfest, that’s a silly question. So I’m going to help you. Go ahead, this interview is going great so far.
About Eyehategod, man, what do you love about them?
Well, Eyehategod, besides the Bad Brains and the Sex Pistols and Big Black, they’re my favorite band of all time. They’re my favorite band that’s currently working even though Mike’s (Williams, vocals) in jail.
Really?
Yeah, Mike went to jail for a little bit.
They stayed at my house. That was the show they did with Byzantine.
(laughs) Was everything there when they left? Mike, Jimmy, Joey, I’m just joking. They’re good dudes, man. Richmond was a huge Eyehategod town. I love Eyehategod because Eyehategod is not just a band it’s a lifestyle and I live that lifestyle. Not as hard as they do but I live it. Pause interview as interviewer and interviewee take a shot of Jager. (Take shots) No, Eyehategod is just, to me their music is slow, it’s brutal and I had a really long winter one year in Oregon Hill, here in Richmond where I don’t even know how I made it through it except every morning I put in “Take As Needed For Pain” and I listened to Eyehategod every morning. I mean, they’re good buddies of mine.
Dopesick is a good record.
Dopesick is amazing. I always sing “Dixie Whiskey” with those guys onstage if their ever around me.
When you’re with Lamb of God and you had the ability…
Fuck Lamb of God. Oops, did I say that? I’m sorry Chris (Adler), I didn’t mean it. It’s been a long Halo of Locusts tour, I’m sorry.
If you could make any record on par with any other record you’ve ever heard, what would it be?
With Lamb of God?
Or with Halo. Either, or.
It’s very easy. With Lamb of God, the record I would make to set the bar for Lamb of God would be Slayer’s Reign in Blood. Now, interviewer and interviewee pause for cheers (cheers). If Lamb of God can make a record, I mean some of my guys would rather make a Megadeth record but you can’t fuck with Slayer, dude. If we could make our own Reign in Blood, Reign in Blood is legendary. With Halo of Locusts if we could make Eyehategod’s Take As Needed For Pain I would be happy. That touches people in a certain way. It definitely touched me in the pee-pee so it’s all good.
Besides your wife have you ever fallen in love with a record like a woman? You have to think of it logically. Has a single record ever made your fucking life like a woman?
Let me tell you something about women. You’re twenty-two, correct?
Twenty-three
You’re twenty-three. You don’t know what the fuck you’re doing. You don’t even know how to fuck yet – well, maybe you do, I don’t know, we could find out later (makes groaning sounds). When, on the real tip, all sarcasm aside, when I was younger chicks hated me, I didn’t matter. But music is always there for you. You know I was really into the Misfits, Samhain, all of that shit and I’m a big punk rock kid. That’s where I come from. I’m not a Mr. Metal Dude. I’m not that dude. Really, man, when I was younger music was my life because I had no women (laughs) no what I’m saying. I will say this, right now, my wife Cindy is the most immaculate album ever made, to me.
When did you guys get married?
We got married September 10th (2005). Down on the beach in North Carolina, where I’m from.
What did you think of Strapping Young Lad on the Sounds of the Underground Tour?
Devin (Townsend, singer/guitarist) is a very good friend of mine. I learned to be a friend with Gene (drums, Hoglan) he’s a great dude. You got to respect Gene Hoglan he played for Death and so forth. I love them. Devin has the funniest in between song banter I’ve heard in years. He’s amazing. “Get your filthy cocks up here. Fuck and go fuck yourself.” I mean he’s amazing, man.
Last one, if you could give any advice to kids starting to play in bands what would it be?
Alright kids, this is D. Randall from Lamb of God and Halo of Locusts talking to you. I’m gonna tell you how it is.
Number 1: Don’t do it, because you’re going to lose. I’m actually discouraging you from playing music because even though you think you’re a bad ass you probably fucking suck, okay.
Alright, number 2, as I pause to light this cigarette (lights cigarette). If you are stupid enough to ignore my advice and not go to the West End and work at Ukrops, you should practice a whole lot so if you get to the practice spot, that place where you practice, you have to go there not just two days a week. Don’t think you’ve ever invented an original riff because you haven’t and we sure as hell haven’t. Neither of my bands have. Don’t think that you’re something special because you know what, mother fucker you aren’t.
Number 3: If someone expresses interest in you – don’t believe them because they’re out to stick their finger so far up your asshole that you’ll never shit again, mother fucker. Don’t believe the hype kid, it’s stupid.
Number 4: If you get label interest and you decide to go with them and you sign with them get a fucking lawyer.
Number 5: Once you have the lawyer make sure you don’t sell your publishing rights for anything less than half a million. That’s an arbitrary number I just threw out.
Number 6: If you’re where I’m at and you already got a label and you’re selling your rights and you have a lawyer and all that stuff, good fucking luck because you’re probably going to be working at 7-11 in three years.
Peace out mother fucker.
by Ryan Kent
Photos by Ian Graham for band pics.
Kim Frost shot the monitors.
Special thanks to the guys in Lamb of God for helping us gain some respect.
George Weistoffer and Todd Raviotta on the monitor setup and concept.
