VOLBEAT Drummer On RANDY BLYTHE Arrest: 'Our Thoughts Are Definitely With Him'

Rustyn Rose of Metalholic.com conducted an interview with drummer Jon Larsen of Danish metal rock 'n' rollers VOLBEAT prior to the band's July 6 concert in Boise, Idaho with HELLYEAH and ICED EARTH. You can now watch the chat below.

On when fans can expect to hear a new VOLBEAT album:

Jon: "It kind of depends on when we think we're ready, actually. Once this tour is over, we're gonna go home and hide out in the rehearsal room for awhile and see what we can come up with. I know Michael [Poulsen, vocals/guitar] already, of course, has a lot of ideas, a lot of riffs, melody lines, ideas for everything from artwork to lyrics to themes, the whole thing, but, of course, everything needs to get done. And if we're ready, then maybe late October, mid-November we will go into the studio. And if we're not ready, then we won't do it until next year."

On the departure of guitarist Thomas Bredahl and VOLBEAT's search for a replacement:

Jon: "Being in a band, I guess, to use that cliché, it's a bit like a marriage. In a normal relationship, sometimes things work out and sometimes things don't work out. When we're together, we're together 24/7 for several months or for however long, and, of course, we're four very different people, always have been. Sometimes you need to change things. When things don't work out, you change things, like you do in a normal relationship. If you are unhappy about your day job, you might wanna change that. I don't think that we're any more difficult than any other people. Sometimes changes happen."

"There is something in the works [with regards to a new guitar player], [but we can't talk about it] yet."

On LAMB OF GOD singer Randy Blythe's arrest in the Czech Republic on manslaughter charges in connection with the death of a fan more than two years ago:

Jon: "First of all, I think it's terrible. We know Randy, we know the guys from LAMB OF GOD, because we toured with them, along with METALLICA. It's mind-boggling. And from what I hear — I haven't really read too much about it — it seems like it wasn't even Randy who was beating that guy up, it seems like it was more like the local security, actually, who was beating him up afterwards, from what I've heard. Somebody posted, I think on Blabbermouth, that there should be some footage available that will show that Randy definitely did not kill the guy, so to speak. But I think it's really, really terrible, and our thoughts are definitely with him. I really, really hope that he gets out of there as soon as possible and goes home."

On whether it scares him to know that musicians like him can now potentially be held liable for what happens when stage divers get injured at rock shows:

"Of course, it's scary. Everbody knows what happened to Dimebag [late PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN guitarist 'Dimebag' Darrell Abbott who was killed by a crazed fan onstage in 2004). I mean, how was that possible? But it was, and now the same thing with Randy. Of course, it makes you think a lot — what can you do to prevent stuff like that? That's why we have — we always have, but now we definitely have to take better care of the barriers and make sure the security do their jobs and stuff like that. People can get hurt, but for what happened at that show, that's just terrible."