Lamb of God's Randy Blythe has been in the news a lot lately! He's writing music for a ballet, he's taking a break from the band and now he's got a Tumblr for his new book called Dark Days. Before the weekend, he posted an entry detailing his book deal. First he talks about the inspiration for the book and dealing with all the insane trials and tribulations of the past few years.
"The way I got my first book deal was a whole lot faster than following some twenty year plan I had cooked up; but much, much harder than that, and a great more painful. I can only wish that my first published book was going to be about something else, because although I’m glad my book will come out, and I hope it does well, I’m not at all happy to be writing about what I am. In fact, this book wasn’t even my idea- I had to be convinced to write it.
Before June 27, 2012, I sure as hell never kicked back and thought “Maybe one day I’ll write a true story about how screwed up and terrifying my life might get if I ever wind up going to prison in a foreign country after being charged with killing a fan of my band”. When the shit hit the fan and I found out a person was dead, I went through a very sad and very scary year. I was arrested, imprisoned, released, stood trial, and was exonerated. After it was all over, I wanted to do just about anything but talk to strangers about the whole ordeal. I refused to do any press (and I still won’t do much) because all anyone would want to talk about was prison and the trial, and I had already been through that. I knew that one day I would write the story, in fact I knew that from the second they cuffed me at the airport in Prague. But I sure as hell didn’t feel like writing about it anytime soon- maybe in a few years, after I had grown a few more gray hairs and looked a little more author-ish."
Blythe even says he doesn't want to dredge up all the shitty feeling he's had over the years during his jail time and trial, but really wants to for the sake of his own sanity. Of course rehashing the whole thing is hard but it's definitely a great way of dealing with it! Then he goes on to talk about Lamb of God and why he wanted to step away from the band for a little bit.
"But towards the end, my deepest desire was to leave lamb of god behind for a bit, to not be the heavy metal singer dude 24/7. Because on tour, that’s the mold you are crammed into, no matter how hard you try to maintain a bit of personal space and identity outside of the band. Unless you are Prince or Led Zepplin or someone like that who can afford to live in their own little bubble of weirdness, there are just too many people around you at all times who will not let you exist as anything other than a band guy."
He acknowledges the fact that Lamb of God is a big part of his life and the fans' lives, but of course there's a time and a place for it. He even recounts a time where he's felt guilty for being inspirational to a cancer survivor because he feels like "[he's] only sung a couple of songs" and can't be compared to what they went through. He finishes with a simple statement.
"I would have rather it not come at all; if not having a book deal or even not ever having my band could change what happened in Prague May 24, 2010. But it can’t, so I will do the best I can to try to bring what good I can out of this. I’m a musician, and a photographer, and a writer.
It’s what I do.
Plus, once this thing is done, whenever people say 'What was it like in prison?' or ask me 'Why did you go back?' or 'Are you free and clear of all that Prague stuff now?,' I can just say…
Read my book. The answers are all there."
I am going to read the shit out of this book.
