Tacoma Interview: Lamb of God’s John Campbell The thunderous LoG bassist loves his new Tacoma Thunderchief …
Lamb of God’s Campbell: A man and his Thunderchief. Photo by Willie Adler
Speed-riffing death metal heroes Lamb of God are about to embark on a yearlong tour, and a new album, Sacrament, is well under way. Here, LoG bassist John Campbell tells Tacoma how much he digs his new Thunderchief bass, which probably won’t be showing up onstage but will definitely be on the bus and has definitely become a new favorite instrument …
T: How’s your new Tacoma bass treating you? JC: The Thunderchief is treating me great! I’ve been playing a lot on it to get better acquainted with the bass. It’s a bigger instrument than the Jackson® bass I normally play, so I know when I’m nailing it on the Thunderchief, I’m gonna be able to rip it up on the electric.
T: What do you like about it in particular? JC: I’m totally blown away by the tone and volume of the Thunderchief! It’s big and booming! I’m also pretty stoked on being able to play a bass at volume pretty much anywhere!
T: Have you written anything on it yet? JC: Not yet! I’ve been concentrating on getting used to the neck and body, which are bigger than what I normally play. I would imagine it might be a bit challenging for smaller-framed bass players!
T: Has it had an effect on any Lamb of God music yet? JC: I just got the bass, but I can tell that the Thunderchief will make me a better player in the long run. I don’t foresee us kickin’ out the acoustic jams anytime soon, but I end up playing a least an extra hour a day just because I’ve got the acoustic bass around.
T: How did you develop the speed and accuracy to occasionally mirror Lamb of God guitar parts note for note? That’s quite a feat … JC: A lot of times the power of our riffs is in hitting the same intricate runs together. There is no shortcut to being able to do this; practice is the only way. When we are writing or rehearsing for a tour, practice goes down five days a week. Outside of this, I can pick up the Thunderchief pretty much anywhere and practice some of these ridiculously fast and “note-y” runs.
Campbell: New heights of brand loyalty. Photo by Willie Adler
T: Are you taking it along for the Unholy Alliance tour this summer? JC: I’m definitely taking the Thunderchief with me on the road. There’s a lot of downtime that I will be filling with playing on that bad boy.
T: What’s your typical practice regimen when you’re on the road? JC: There is no regular practice on tour. On off nights, when we will headline, we’ll probably take a little extra time during sound check to roll through some of our newer material that won’t necessarily be part of the set.
As part of my routine, I start getting serious about warming up about an hour before we play. By that time, our guitars are side-stage, so I creep up and find a spot backstage. After getting my hands stretched out a bit, I’ll play the harder riffs I got coming my way in the set and get a feel for the vibe of the crowd. Throw in a couple Red Bulls, and I’m ready to hit the stage!
We normally play six nights a week when we’re out. Days off are boring and costly! That kind of schedule keeps us pretty well rehearsed from show to show.
T: Now that initial tracks for your new album, Sacrament, are done, how do you like them? JC: These new tracks represent what the five of us have been working toward since we first began. We have always pushed ourselves to top what we had done before, and this album will be no exception. We have gotten better at arranging songs so that all parts have their place; specifically vocals. There’s even a touch of melody to some of the growling!
T: Any memorable studio moments you’d like to share? JC: There was an uninvited (are they ever invited?) crack-head living in the alley behind the studio. We helped the eviction along with some fireworks. Outside of dumb stuff like that, it was all business in the studio.
T: What should fans expect from Lamb of God throughout the rest of 2006? JC: We’re gearing up now for the upcoming tour, which will start us off on a solid year of touring. Expect to see us play your hometown and grace the pages of your favorite magazines!
