Lamb of God drummer Art Cruz recently discussed his personal and musical evolution during the creation of the band’s latest studio album, Into Oblivion. The record, which marks the group’s tenth full-length release, arrived on March 13 via Epic Records in the United States and Century Media in Europe.
During an interview with “Loyal To The Craft,” the musician, who celebrated three years of sobriety this past January, emphasized how his lifestyle changes fundamentally altered his approach to recording. He highlighted the profound impact of working with a clear mind for the first time in his career.
“It’s been a long time coming. It’s the band’s tenth studio album. What a monument to be a part of, for not only the legacy of Lamb of God, but my third album [with the band]. And I think I got — no, I don’t think; I know that I got all the cobwebs off. I know that this album, to me, is me. It’s Art. It’s my identity. And honestly, it took a lot of time, and that’s part of jumping into a band like this and part of jumping into something. So I’m very excited to see what the fans think and what the music industry thinks of this new music because it’s very special to us and me.” Art Cruz stated (as transcribed by Blabbermouth).
He added: “I’m gonna cherish this one a little bit more. Nothing about the other ones is uncherishable — they’re special to me — but this one is… We turned it up, and by turning it up, I actually turned it down, which, we can get into that. That’s just crazy. So I’m proud of it.”
Addressing his battle with alcoholism and how sobriety sharpened his senses in the studio, he provided a candid look at his physical and mental preparation.
“My entire approach on this record was so different because not only is this my first record sober — that’s a big deal — the type of alcoholic I was, I was constantly just burying myself in it, and I was never really fully present. My priorities were all messed up. I think to explain it in a short term of that, the emotions are very loud and I’m feeling everything extra. Everything I touch is very — the smells are stronger, the studio is stronger, the lights are brighter. I love that. I’m happy that I’m present for this one because it changed my entire approach to my approach creatively, to what I did performance-wise, the condition that I put my body in and how I got my body into condition, and eating good, and like all those things that came into play to prepare myself. I actually was really hard on myself, and I had to learn how to get out of that too, ’cause I was being super paranoid about, like, ‘Oh, this part’s not good.’ And if there’s anything that I took from this whole experience is less is more; real recognizes real; air drumming — literally all three of those things, man,” he explained.
Comparing the sessions for Into Oblivion to his previous work on the band’s 2020 self-titled album and 2022’s Omens, the drummer detailed his growing comfort level and integration into the group’s established writing dynamic.
“So, from the start, my creative process started… I had this whole different view,” he continued. “Not only that, I wasn’t thrown into it. My first Lamb of God album, the self-titled, I was just getting off the last Slayer tour and it’s, like, we’re gonna go home. ‘You wanna be in the band, right?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Okay, cool. We’re gonna write a record. We got songs already.’ I’m, like, ‘What is happening?’ Right into it. And I’ve talked about this before, but that record, we’d like to consider it a safe album. I didn’t go too far away from what was already there. I was learning the method of how these dudes worked. That’s part of evolving. And I didn’t know what I really was doing. I didn’t know how they worked. So I had to learn a lot on that one. And then my sophomore album, Omens, the Omens album that we did was a very high production, the band’s peak production — big-ass studio [in] Hollywood, month at a time, where you’re gonna stay out there for a month and pre-production and writing sessions. And that was that one. And that was a great experience to be a part of that, ’cause they never experienced that. So to come into this one, it happened so naturally, man. And early on in the creative process, I wasn’t sure what to expect, because it wasn’t the same. It was not like the ones we did before. So I’m, like, ‘This doesn’t feel right. Something feels off.’ So me, the way that I am as a person, like, ‘Oh, what do I do?’ I’m trying to figure out how to be involved in this and this. And sometimes you just have to settle down and pause and let it be what it’s gonna be. It’s totally out of my control.”
He concluded by explaining how eliminating external distractions and trusting his bandmates allowed him to deliver what he considers his definitive performance.
“I don’t play guitar. I gotta wait for the riff or wait for the song to be where it’s at. And these guys are Lamb of God for a reason. Shut up, drop the ego, listen. Learn to listen, listen to learn. That’s what I’ve learned a lot over the years. And these guys have taught me that. They’ve taught me that. And with this mindset, going into the new album, I’m, like, ‘I’m gonna try to go in as pure as they possibly can. I’m gonna get off YouTube. I’m gonna get off social media. I’m gonna stop looking at other drummers, perfect drummers, and listening to albums that are coming out right now. At the time when we were recording, [I was], like, ‘What’s so-and-so doing?’ ‘I’m gonna cut all that out. I’m gonna get my body and my mind right.’ I worked out for six months on a huge regimen to get my body back in shape, get my mind right. Obviously staying sober helps that all the time. And I went in so pure, the songs weren’t gonna change. It was like, ‘Here, kid. Here are the songs.’ I didn’t know that then, but I know that now, that that was them putting faith in me and knowing what I can do. I don’t know if I earned my stripes yet, but it’s also like I felt it. They just said, ‘Do what you do.’ They weren’t directing me. They’re just, like, ‘Just do what you’re gonna do. The songs aren’t changing.’ And honestly, it’s the best thing that ever happened to me. And the mindset was clear, pure, and whatever is on this album is what was supposed to be on this album. And it was uninfluenced. It was all what was already in me. And now I’m proud of it. It’s my best record. For me, it’s my favorite record of all time. Like, for real.”
Produced and mixed by longtime studio collaborator Josh Wilbur, the recording process for Into Oblivion was uniquely spread across several locations tied to the band’s identity. The drum tracks were captured in their hometown of Richmond, Virginia, while guitars and bass were recorded at guitarist Mark Morton‘s personal home studio. Frontman Randy Blythe tracked his blistering vocals at the iconic Total Access studio in Redondo Beach, California—the birthplace of legendary punk records by Black Flag, Hüsker Dü, and Descendents.
Lamb of God is currently on a North American headline tour with support from Kublai Khan TX, Fit For An Autopsy, and Sanguisugabogg.
Following the North American trek, the metal titans will cross the Atlantic for a jam-packed Summer 2026 European tour, featuring major festival appearances at Wacken Open Air and Bloodstock, as well as select headlining dates featuring Thy Art Is Murder, Bleed From Within, and Vended.
Into Oblivion Official Tracklist:
- “Into Oblivion”
- “Parasocial Christ”
- “Sepsis”
- “The Killing Floor”
- “El Vacío”
- “St. Catherine’s Wheel”
- “Blunt Force Blues”
- “Bully”
- “A Thousand Years”
- “Devise/Destroy”
Lamb of God 2026 North American Tour Dates:
- March 31 – Seattle, WA – WAMU Theater
- April 1 – Vancouver, BC – PNE Forum
- April 3 – San Francisco, CA – The Masonic
- April 4 – Inglewood, CA – YouTube Theater
- April 5 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre
- April 7 – Albuquerque, NM – Revel Entertainment Center
- April 10 – Austin, TX – Moody Amphitheater
- April 11 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
- April 12 – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall
- April 14 – Nashville, TN – War Memorial Auditorium
- April 15 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy Theatre
- April 16 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater
- April 18 – Reading, PA – Santander Arena
- April 19 – Virginia Beach, VA – The Dome
- April 21 – Buffalo, NY – Buffalo RiverWorks
- April 23 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Paramount
- April 25 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
- April 26 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway
Summer 2026 European Tour Dates:
- July 24 – Istanbul, TUR – Bonus Parkorman
- July 24-26 – Plovdiv, BUL – Hills Of Rock
- July 27-31 – Rasnov, ROM – Rockstadt Extreme Fest
- August 1 – Wacken, GER – Wacken Open Air
- August 3 – Leipzig, GER – Haus Auensee (w/ Thy Art Is Murder, Bleed From Within, Fit For An Autopsy)
- August 5-09 – Lisbon, POR – Vagos Open Air
- August 6-09 – Kortrijk, BEL – Alcatraz Open Air
- August 6-09 – Walton-On-Trent, UK – Bloodstock Open Air
- August 11 – Copenhagen, DEN – K.B. Hallen (w/ Thy Art Is Murder, Fit For An Autopsy, Vended)
- August 12 – Dinkelsbuhl, GER – Summer Breeze
- August 13-15 – Sulingen, GER – Reload Festival
- August 14 – Eindhoven, NET – Dynamo Metalfest
