MARK MORTON: 'Isn't That Weird, 25 Years Into A Career, That Nobody Just Straight Up Sounds Like LAMB OF GOD?'

In a new interview with BangerTV's Sam Dunn, LAMB OF GOD guitarist Mark Morton was asked how he feels the band's latest album, "Into Oblivion" explores "new" or "different sonic territory" from the group's previous efforts. Mark responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm just gonna be straight up with you, Sam. It's such a strange thing every few years to have to talk about your creative process. And these publications, who I appreciate their platform and their time and their investment in helping get the word out about our music, but the truth is to have to characterize that in some new talking-point way every three years gets a little bit like beating your head against the wall. And I know why these writers and these journalists and these platforms want you to do that, because it makes it easy to communicate what's going on in a concise way, and in a quick, efficient way, so that they can say, 'The new record has this character and has this personality. Now they're doing this. This is what's exciting about the new record.' But the truth is, for me, what's exciting about the new record, this time, is that we really don't feel any pressure or obligation to do anything except make songs together and decide which ones we like. And this batch are the ones that we picked. And it sounds sassy to say that, but there's no storyline other than it's our tenth record. When you've amassed a body of work like the one we have, if there is a responsibility, it's to that body of work. If I feel accountable to anybody, it's to that body of LAMB OF GOD work because I don't wanna pollute it. So, do I think every song we've ever put out, every album we've put out is this strong? Of course not. But if we're gonna do something now, it's gotta feel honest and feel important to us, and this one really, really does."

Elaborating on the idea that LAMB OF GOD is not veering too far away from past musical output on "Into Oblivion", Mark said: "I'm completely okay, in fact, more than okay, I'm thrilled that it can just sound like LAMB OF GOD. Let's just have it sound like LAMB OF GOD. And it does. And who else does?"

He continued: "Isn't that weird, 25 years into a career, that nobody just straight up sounds like LAMB OF GOD? Why is that? It seems like they should. And I wanna say this without sounding full of myself. It's just something I've thought about, like, why has no one ever just come out and flat-out just ripped us off? Because let's face it, we've been pretty successful and sold a lot of records. We're not the biggest heavy metal band in the world, but it's a big band. It's awesome. I'm having a blast. Still, I love it. I'm so grateful. I say that with the utmost gratitude. But nobody sounds like us. Why? I don't know. Or maybe nobody wants to. I don't know. So when I think about this thing, that's what I think about. Of course, now the sound is a little bit throwback, and of a time that is kind of specific. But there were times, 10 years ago where I'm just, like, how come no one's just flat-out ripped us off?"

"Into Oblivion" arrived to widespread acclaim. In the lead-up to the release, LAMB OF GOD appeared on the covers of Metal Hammer and Kerrang!, with critics praising the album's intensity and relevance. The Associated Press featured the album in their weekly highlights, calling it "10 tracks of ferocity," while Brooklyn Vegan noted that "the band spends these 10 songs reminding the world that their reign as New Wave Of American Heavy Metal giants is far from over," and SPIN said the band is "channeling America's unraveling into a ferocious new album."

The album is available now across multiple formats, including various vinyl variants, a collectible "Into Oblivion" CD with a limited-edition companion zine featuring album art sketches, handwritten lyrics and never-before-seen studio photos.

Produced and mixed by longtime studio collaborator Josh Wilbur, "Into Oblivion" was recorded across multiple locations tied closely to the band's identity. Drums were tracked in Richmond, Virginia, with guitars and bass recorded at Morton's home studio. Singer Randy Blythe recorded his vocals at the legendary Total Access studio in Redondo Beach, California, the birthplace of seminal punk records by BLACK FLAG, HÜSKER DÜ and DESCENDENTS.