Tim Lambesis | Passionate
Written By: Jameson Ketchum

calm and quiet Tim Lambesis sits across from me in a nearly empty RV. Our energetic photographer Katie Jayne prepares her camera behind him as we set up for our first interview. The lanky vocalist sits patiently in his chair; hands folded awaiting the start of our chat. The vocalist of As I Lay Dying, as well as the genius mind behind Austrian Death Machine, Lambesis appears less intimidating with every second of anticipated silence. Lambesis has no reason to be antsy however. With four widely successful albums under his belt (as well as one with ADM), a new gig as a developing producer, and a very anticipated double disc entitled Double Brutal, the larger than life front man has a lot to look forward to.

Can you explain a bit about the evolution of sound that you all have gone through over the course of your career?

Tim Lambesis: I would say that the biggest evolution of sound would be just adding more songwriters to the mix. When the band first started I had a handful of ideas I gave to Jordan and those ideas were sort of worked out at that point then the later parts on our first record was Jordan and I working together. The next record was a similar situation and then eventually Nick and Phil joined the band and became a part of the song writing process. And now, with the album we’re currently working on, Josh, our bass player, started adding. We never had a bass player who recorded on an album let alone contributed song writing ideas.

I talked with Leroy from War of Ages yesterday and he just had awesome things to say about recording with you. Is producing something that you think you’ll continue to dive deeper into?

TL: It’s just something I enjoy. As far as being a studio owner I’ve built all this gear and and production stuff. I’ve got engineers that I really trust who can keep all that running all year while I’m on tour so when I’m home its an opportunity for me to pick and choose where I want to get involved. Sometimes I just have to stay at home and relax because we’re gone so much out of the year. I had a good time working on that War of Ages record and the only other one I’ve done is Sworn Enemy. I try to just work with bands I’m friends with because it’s not my source of income.

It seems like there is some confusion regarding your role with Metal Blade Records. What is your actual involvement?

TL: Metal Blade has been around for just over 25 years now. It has been around a long time and in the 80’s they did a lot of thrash stuff and I think when we came along we brought a new generation of metal and I think that was about the time the whole metal core genre was really taking off so I was really involved with the guys there. A lot of the bands that were the front runners of the current metal scene were there. I got involved at that level because I wanted the chance to bring in new bands. I do have my own small I guess you’d call it subsidiary of Metal Blade where I’m able to sign bands on my own.

Austrian Death Machine-how did this begin?

TL: That was one of those things that have become a lot bigger deal than I really intended. I had this really whimsical idea to hang out with my friends joking around saying it’d be so funny if I did it. Since I had my own studio and  some time between tours I just started creating these albums. Metal Blade heard it and really wanted to release it. Of course I thought it’d be a lot of fun and it took off. September 29th we’ll have the second album coming out. It’s a double disc called Double Brutal so I’m getting pretty serious.

Would you ever consider touring with it?

TL: Yeah, I’m doing some short little stints. I’m doing a six day tour around California surrounding the release then maybe a few out on the East Coast. I can’t do full tours though because of As I Lay Dying.

You guys are one of the biggest metal acts today, how do you stay humble as far as your faith goes and remember why you’re out here doing what you’re doing?

TL: I would say just looking at history of metal bands that we were fans of. There were these bands that had gold records at one point now they go out and can’t even fill a bar sized club. Just seeing what happens over time to those bands and knowing it can all go as fast as it came. Nothing last forever and it doesn’t change who we are as people you know? It’s just an opportunity to do what we love. I think we’ll always be able to make a living doing this but a lot of bands aren’t smart about that and they let it go to their heads and you see where they are now.

Was faith something that was there from the beginning?

TL: When Jordan and I started the band we had the same core beliefs so it just made sense. Especially as a lyricist, I want to write what I’m passionate about. My belief in redemption is something that I’m most passionate about so that is naturally going to come across in our music. When we had new members trying to get their spots, that was something that had to be there.