Randy Blythe has revealed that the title for upcoming Lamb Of God album VII: Sturm Und Drang was chosen after he went looking for a German phrase to match its character.
And he described the long-awaited release as “less schizophrenic” than their previous work.
The follow-up to 2012’s Resolution will be launched in July, after Lamb Of God appear at Download next month.
The title – translated as “storm and stress” – was a result of a conversation about the album’s theme of how people react under extreme pressure.
Blythe tells Billboard: “I was like, ‘Maybe the Germans have something,’ because they’re great at cramming complex concepts into one word.”
The phrase was found with the help of guitarist Mark Morton’s mother, who’s German.
Blythe says: “I didn’t set out to write this record about my perception of how people handle difficulties – but as I was writing, it started coming to me.
“It’s been a stressful fucking time for my band, the last few years. Hard times make for good metal.”
For the first time, Morton and colleague Willie Adler make a point of collaborating on tracks instead of each writing separate songs. The frontman says: “The record is much, much stronger for it. It’s less schizophrenic.”
