Lamb Of God guitarist Mark Morton is embracing a slower pace these days. In a recent interview with Scott Penfold of Loaded Radio, Morton offered a look into what’s next for the veteran metal band — and why sometimes doing less is part of staying the course.
“Oh, I don’t know, man. We don’t really have anything to announce,” Morton said when asked about future plans. “We’re always tinkering here and there, me and Willie [Adler, guitarist]. We’ve got some shows coming up towards the end of the year. Nothing super pressing, really. I think everyone’s kind of catching their breath. It’s been a pretty intense — not intense, I don’t wanna say intense, but it’s been a hectic few years. We’re old men now. So we have to catch our breaths and go home and meet our families and stuff.”
The downtime comes after decades of consistent output, touring, and a work ethic that has kept Lamb Of God in the spotlight since their early days. Reflecting on that longevity, Morton credits the band’s raw honesty and the symbiotic relationship with their fans.
“Well, I wish I knew, because I would be able to sell it. I don’t know,” he said when asked about the key to their staying power. “I think Lamb Of God has always been unapologetically ourselves and sometimes to a fault. I think we’ve been, on back even to the early DVD days and all that kind of stuff, we’ve always really been happy to show you our ass and also celebrate alongside our fanbase with our victories. So, I think that authenticity has created a relationship between the band and fans where we really feel like we are all part of the same thing, because we are.”
Morton emphasized that the band’s fans are integral to the whole experience, not just passive observers.
“So when I go to a Lamb Of God show, the people I see in the audience are as important as we are, because if they’re not there, it’s just our dumb asses on stage making a bunch of noise. So it’s very much a collective project and the fans are as or more important a part of that project as we are. And I think we have remained able to stay aware of that throughout our careers. And if any of us forget that, we are a pretty intense group of dudes who are very happy to remind each other of that. So I think that’s the reason. I think we are really pretty genuine, creatively and otherwise. And, yeah, I think that’s the reason.”
It’s not just the fans who’ve stayed close — so have the bandmates. Speaking about his long-standing relationship with frontman Randy Blythe, Morton made it clear that their connection runs deep.
“Well, it’s been 25 years, and I think Randy is easily one of the best frontmen in modern heavy metal. And he’s one of my best friends. I don’t know. We write songs together. We do other stuff together. I mean, he knows my kids. It’s family. That’s how it’s been. We’re super close. People use the term ‘like brothers.’ I’ll give him a kidney tomorrow if he needs one. You know what I mean? He is my brother. But we sometimes butt heads. We’ve been in fist fights. We’ve been there for each other through hard times. It’s all the stuff, man.”
Even with this moment of rest, the band isn’t disappearing from the map. Lamb Of God recently announced new headlining dates for 2025, including a special hometown performance in Richmond, along with stops in Springfield, Massachusetts, and Monterrey, Mexico. They’ll also be part of Black Sabbath‘s much-anticipated Back To The Beginning farewell, and will headline festivals like Inkcarceration, Unhinged, Louder Than Life, and Aftershock.
Lamb Of God recently added several headlining dates to their already packed 2025 schedule. The dates are happening this July and September in the US, plus an additional one in Mexico this November. The shows feature alternating openers including Hatebreed, Shadows Fall, Gwar, Power Trip, and more! Those dates are as follows. Get your tickets here.
7/18 Springfield, MA MassMutual Center (w/ Hatebreed & Shadows Fall)
7/20 Inkcarceration Festival Mansfield, OH
7/24 Richmond, VA Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront (w/ GWAR & Hatebreed)
7/27 NATIONAL WESTERN STOCKYARDS Denver, CO
9/18 Louder Than Life Festival Louisville, KY
9/20 Hinkley, MN Grand Casino Hinkley – Amphitheater (w/ Body Count & Harms Way)
9/25 Durant, OK Choctaw Grand Theater (w/ Power Trip & Frozen Soul)
9/27 Hammond, IN Horseshoe Hammond Casino (w/ Cavalera & Power Trip)
10/3 Aftershock Festival Sacramento, CA
10/31 Headbangers Boat Miami, FL
11/6 Monterrey, Mexico at Showcenter
Source: metalinjection.net
