Adler: A little bit. Mark has a little bit
more high mids in his sound. I’m a little
more scooped.
How scooped are you—a total V, or kind
of scooped but not all the way?
Adler: I’m kind of scooped but not total
metalcore scooped. Our guitars sound drastically different, and that scooped sound
really complements my guitar.
“ … WE WORK HARD TO KEEP THE SAME
LINEUP. A LOT OF BANDS CHANGE MEMBERS
AND BREAK UP AT THE FIRST CONFLICT.”
—MArK MOrtON
Moving on to big-picture stuff, you’ve toured
with some of the most influential metal
bands of all time—and you’re now one of the
biggest names in metal. What did you learn
from being on tour with, say, Metallica?
Morton: Without getting too specific, I think
they just taught us the next level of being pro.
Those guys approach everything with the
most professional attitude. I have never seen
a show where they are just going through the
motions. They are really … they’re the biggest and best heavy metal band in the world.
I think it was, more than anything, really
inspiring to see a band at that level really care
so much about what they’re doing and still
take it so seriously. I’ve seen really big bands
that honestly don’t give a [expletive] about
what they’re doing on any given night. I’ve
never seen that with Metallica.
MARK MORTON’S GEAR
GUitArS
Jackson Mark Morton Dominion signature model,
Guild D- 55 acoustic
AMPS
Mesa/Boogie Royal Atlantic RA- 100
eFFeCtS
MXR GT-OD, Way Huge Green Rhino, MXR Phase 90,
Cry Baby wah, MXR Carbon Copy
StriNGS, PiCKS, AND ACCeSSOrieS
Jim Dunlop .010–.046 sets with a .048 low E,
Dunlop Tortex 1. 14 mm picks, Mogami cables
WILLIE ADLER’S GEAR
GUitArS
ESP Will Adler signature model
That said, you guys have been around for
a while now, too. How do you maintain
your longevity?
Adler: That’s a very good question. It’s hard
to say. I think we’re all smart enough to
realize that it’s way bigger than its individual parts. We’re all part of something that we
all deem extremely special.
Morton: I think we just enjoy what we’re
doing. We’d be doing this anyway. I’d be
playing guitar whether I had a record deal
or not. Also, we work hard to keep the same
lineup. A lot of bands change members and
break up at the first conflict. We’ve weathered a lot of conflict, personally speaking—
things in our lives that have nothing to do
with the band. I think we all realize that the
five of us are Lamb of God. So, as long as we
want to do Lamb of God, that’s what it is.
AMPS
Mesa/Boogie Mark V and Mark IV heads,
Boogie 4x12 cabs
eFFeCtS
dbx 266XL Compressor/Gate, MXR Stereo Chorus
StriNGS, PiCKS, AND ACCeSSOrieS
.010–.046 sets with a .048 low E, Dunlop. 1.0 mm picks,
Levy’s Leathers straps, Planet Waves cables
The music industry has changed signifi-
cantly since you guys started out. What
advice would you give upcoming bands—
musically and business-wise?
Adler: It is a whole new game, man. Music-
wise, stay true to yourself. Don’t try to
compete with anybody. Don’t try to sound like
anybody. Do what you love. If it’s something
that’s meant to be, it will happen. Honestly,
it’s a whole lot of luck. We were just fortunate
to be in a position where the iron was hot and
we were able to strike it right then.
Morton: If you’re in a band because you
want to get rich and you want to get famous,
then you’re probably looking at it the wrong
way. You’re setting yourself up for failure.
There are so many things that have to fall
into place and so much of it is luck. I mean,
yes, you have to be good … yes, you have to
be dedicated … yes, you have to surround
yourself with people that are as dedicated as
you are. But there’s a lot of luck and timing
involved, too. My advice is to do what you
love and then let the rest come if it will.
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