Lamb of God vocalist Randy Blythe is branching out a bit and composing the score for a new ballet, which may-okay will almost certainly will-come as a surprise for fans of the Virginia groove metal band (from Rolling Stone).
"Artistically, I don't live in some heavy metal cave-most of my favorite frontmen all work in various disciplines," he said, citing Henry Rollins and Nick Cave as influences. "These guys have made some of the most original and caustic tunes in the history of music, but they also have produced some really beautiful art and literature. Those are the types of artistic role models I look to for inspiration - they stay busy and work hard."
The frontman said that a friend in the Richmond Ballet, Matthew Frain, asked if he could use some preexisting music (it's tough to imagine "Laid to Rest" as a ballet soundtrack, but Blythe doesn't have any solo work to speak of, aside from his side band Halo of Locusts...also pretty brutal), but the vocalist suggested they compose some new music instead.
The result, while still very minor key, is a dramatic departure from the in-your-face approach of Lamb of God, using a more suspenseful, building approach to discomfort instead. The sample provided in the trailer for the ballet-titled Inventory-features infrequent piano chords on top of an electric drone that slowly builds. You can check out the trailer at the bottom of the page...but don't adjust your volume: It takes about 30 seconds for the audio to start.
Although Blythe admits to being a fan of the form and has attended ballet performances in the past, most recently a performance of The Nutcracker in Richmond, his new role required him to learn all the technical jargon.
The performance will debut at the New Works Festival, which takes place from March 17-22.
© 2024 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
