David Randall Blythe (, born February 21, 1971) is an American vocalist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of heavy metal band

Lamb of God Lamb of God (; , ) is a Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, title for Jesus that appears in the Gospel of John. It appears at wikisource:Bible (American Standard)/John#1:29, John 1:29, where John the Baptist sees Jesus and exclaims, " ...

and Burn The Priest. He has also performed guest vocals for

Cannabis Corpse Cannabis Corpse is a cannabis-themed death metal band. Cannabis Corpse formed in Richmond, Virginia in 2006 under the Forcefield label. Since then, Cannabis Corpse has released six LPs and two EPs. The band features members of Municipal Wast ...

A Life Once Lost A Life Once Lost was an American metal band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. History A Life Once Lost formed in 1999 in a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After the release of their first album, '' Open Your Mouth for the Speechless... i ...

Overkill Overkill may refer to: * Overkill (term), the use of excessive force or action to achieve a goal * Surplus killing, when a predator kills more prey than it can eat * Overexploitation, depletion of a natural resource through overharvesting ** Over ...

Gojira is the original Japanese name for Godzilla, a giant monster at the center of a media franchise. It may also refer to: Films *Godzilla (franchise), ''Godzilla'' franchise, known as in Japan **Godzilla (1954 film), ''Godzilla'' (1954 film), relea ...

Pitch Black Forecast Pitch Black Forecast is an American heavy metal supergroup formed in 2005 with a lineup consisting of Mushroomhead frontman Jason Popson and ex-Strapping Young Lad drummer Gene Hoglan and former Integrity bassist Steve Rauckhorst, formed in O ...

Eyehategod Eyehategod (also abbreviated and referred to as EHG) is an American sludge metal band from New Orleans, Louisiana, who formed in 1988. They have become one of the better known bands to emerge from the NOLA metal scene. Their core lineup has r ...

Eluveitie Eluveitie ( ; )Chrigel Glanzmann: "Eluveitie is a name in Gaulish language, which is an ancient Celtic language. Since it's not a living language anymore, nobody really knows how it's pronounced like. All we have today of this language is scient ...

Bad Brains Bad Brains are an American punk rock band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1976. They are widely regarded as pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members have objected to the use of this term to describe their music. They are also an ade ...

Soulfly Soulfly is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Phoenix, Arizona in 1997. Soulfly is led by former Sepultura frontman Max Cavalera, who formed the band after he left the Brazilian group in 1996. To date the band has release ...

Clutch A clutch is a mechanical device that allows an output shaft to be disconnected from a rotating input shaft. The clutch's input shaft is typically attached to a motor, while the clutch's output shaft is connected to the mechanism that does th ...

Body Count A body count is the total number of people killed in a particular event. In combat, a body count is often based on the number of confirmed kills, but occasionally only an estimate. Often used in reference to military combat, the term can also r ...

DevilDriver DevilDriver is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Santa Barbara, California, Santa Barbara, California, formed in 2002, consisting of vocalist Dez Fafara, bassist Jon Miller, guitarist Alex Lee and drummer Davier Pérez. The b ...

Suicide Silence Suicide Silence is an American deathcore band from Riverside, California, Riverside, California. The band was established in 2002, and has released seven studio albums, three EPs, and nineteen music videos. They were awarded the ''Revolver (ma ...

Doyle Doyle is a surname of Irish origin. The name is a back-formation from O'Doyle, which is an Anglicisation of the Irish (), meaning "descendant of ''Dubhghall''". There is another possible etymology: the Anglo-Norman surname ''D'Oyley'' with aggl ...

Metal Allegiance Metal Allegiance is an American thrash metal supergroup formed on Long Island, New York, in 2014 by bassist and songwriter Mark Menghi. Shortly after, he recruited bassist David Ellefson (formerly of Megadeth), guitarist Alex Skolnick (from Tes ...

, and

Voodoo Glow Skulls Voodoo Glow Skulls are an American ska punk band formed in 1988 in Riverside, California, by brothers Frank, Eddie, and Jorge Casillas and their longtime friend Jerry O'Neill. Voodoo Glow Skulls first played at backyard parties and later at Spa ...

, and is the lead singer of side-project band Halo of Locusts.

Professional career

Blythe joined

in 1995, when they were still known as Burn the Priest. Before the band was successful, Blythe had previously worked as a cook and a roofer. He also has a side project band known as Halo of Locusts, who were founded around 2004. A full-length release was planned, but has yet to be released. They contributed to ''

For the Sick ''For the Sick'' is the title of the various artist tribute album to one of the most influential sludge metal bands, Eyehategod. It was released through Emetic Records on March 20, 2007. Track listing CD 1 # Dot(.) – "Man is Too Ignorant to E ...

'', the tribute album for

, covering "Dixie Whiskey". Randy Blythe Ozzfest 2004 2

In 2005, Blythe worked with the metalcore outfit

on their album ''

Hunter Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, ...

''. He provided additional vocals on the track "Vulture" as well as helped in the vocal processing of the track. He later worked with them again in 2007 on " Iron Gag." He also appeared on the song "Skull and Bones" by the band

and "Adoration for None" on

's album ''

The Way of All Flesh ''The Way of All Flesh'' (originally titled ''Ernest Pontifex or the Way of All Flesh'') is a semi-autobiographical novel by Samuel Butler that attacks Victorian-era hypocrisy. Written between 1873 and 1884, it traces four generations of the ...

''. He was also featured on

Shadows Fall Shadows Fall is an American metalcore band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1996. Although Shadows Fall has experienced several line-up changes, for most of its recording career, Shadows Fall has been composed of guitarists Jon Donais and ...

song, King of Nothing, on their 2009 release,

Retribution Retribution may refer to: * Punishment * Retributive justice, a theory of justice ** Divine retribution, retributive justice in a religious context * Revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance Film and televis ...

. Blythe was featured in many of his peers' DVDs, such as

Killswitch Engage Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist Jesse Leach, guitarists Joel Stroetzel and Adam Dutkiewicz, bassist Mike D'Antonio, and drummer Justin ...

's ''

(Set This) World Ablaze ''(Set This) World Ablaze'' is the first live album by American metalcore band Killswitch Engage. The DVD is of a live show that was taped at Worcester Palladium, The Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts on July 25, 2005. It includes live track ...

'' and

Machine Head A machine head (also referred to as a tuning machine, tuner, or gear head) is a geared apparatus for tuning stringed musical instruments by adjusting string tension. Machine heads are used on mandolins, guitars, double basses, and others, and ...

's ''

Elegies An elegy is a poem of serious reflection, and in English literature usually a lament for the dead. However, according to ''The Oxford Handbook of the Elegy'', "for all of its pervasiveness ... the 'elegy' remains remarkably ill defined: sometime ...

''. Blythe was also featured in '' Metal: A Headbanger's Journey'', ''Working Class Rock Star'', Melissa Cross's ''The Zen of Screaming'', and

's '' Ending Is the Beginning: The Mitch Lucker Memorial Show'' (2014). He appears as Luke in the movie '' The Graves'' (2009), written and directed by

Brian Pulido Brian Pulido (born November 30, 1961) is an American creator, writer and producer of comic books and films. Early life Growing up in Long Branch, New Jersey, Pulido first developed an interest in the horror genre after the release of ''Night of ...

. On January 5, 2012, Blythe announced that he would be running for President of the United States via a blog entry entitled "I want to be The Big Cheese". His official campaign slogan was "Fuck the dumb shit. Let's get real here." Blythe did not appear on the ballot in any of the fifty states or the District of Columbia. On November 20, 2014, was announced that Blythe is to star in an action movie being made by Taiwanese metal band

Chthonic In Greek mythology, deities referred to as chthonic () or chthonian () were gods or spirits who inhabited the underworld or existed in or under the earth, and were typically associated with death or fertility. The terms "chthonic" and "chthonian" ...

. On July 14, 2015, Blythe's first book, ''Dark Days: A Memoir'' was released by Da Capo Press. During its first week of sales, it made the ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' non-fiction National Best Sellers list. In February 2016, he joined

Deafheaven Deafheaven is an American black metal band formed in 2010. Originally based in San Francisco, the group began as a two-piece with singer George Clarke and guitarist Kerry McCoy (musician), Kerry McCoy, who recorded and self-released Demo (Deafh ...

on stage at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles with their song "Dream House". Seven months later, in September 2016, he was recruited by

as a replacement for lead singer Mike Williams during their US tour. In July 2018 he collaborated with

on the covers of "

Ghost Riders in the Sky "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky: A Cowboy Legend" is a cowboy-styled country/western song written in 1948 by American songwriter Stan Jones. A number of versions were crossover hits on the pop charts in 1949, the most successful being by Vaugh ...

" by

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter. Most of his music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career. ...

and " Whiskey River" by

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and activist. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restr ...

from Devil Driver's country covers album. In October, his voice appeared in the

song "Dead Behind the Eyes" from ''

Ritual A ritual is a repeated, structured sequence of actions or behaviors that alters the internal or external state of an individual, group, or environment, regardless of conscious understanding, emotional context, or symbolic meaning. Traditionally ...

''. On April 4, 2019, Blythe made a music video for the Black Queen song "The End Where We Start". In November 2019, Blythe was a member of the supergroup,

Pigface Pigface is an American industrial rock supergroup formed in 1990 by Martin Atkins and William Rieflin. History Pigface was formed from Ministry's ''The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste'' tour, which produced the '' In Case You Didn't Fee ...

, during the group's first tour in fourteen years. Initially, Blythe had agreed to perform with the group for the first five dates of the twelve-date tour but due to his enjoyment of it, he agreed to stay on for the remaining seven dates. In April 2020, Blythe and Scottish brewery

BrewDog BrewDog is a Multinational corporation, multinational brewery, Distillation, distillery and pub chain based in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. With production of over 100 million litres, BrewDog is the seventh-largest beer brand in Britain, ...

announced a collaboration that yielded a non-alcoholic beer named "Ghost Walker". The name is taken from the Lamb of God song "Ghost Walking" which is on their 2012 album '' Resolution''. Blythe wrote the lyrics to the song whilst beginning his journey to live an alcohol-free lifestyle.

Manslaughter charges and acquittal

At the end of June 2012, Blythe was arrested, charged and

remanded Remand may refer to: * Remand (court procedure), when an appellate court sends a case back to the trial court or lower appellate court * Pre-trial detention, detention of a suspect prior to a trial, conviction, or sentencing See also *'' Remando ...

in custody by the Czech authorities in connection with an incident that had happened during Lamb of God's previous concert in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

two years earlier. According to the prosecution, Blythe shoved Daniel Nosek, a 19-year-old fan, off stage, thus inflicting fatal wounds on him. After being released on bail, which was contested by the State Attorney, Blythe denied responsibility for Nosek's death and pledged to return to attend the trial, which began on February 4, 2013.Kenety, Brian (March 5, 2013
"Lamb of God's Randy Blythe acquitted of manslaughter"
''

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

'', Retrieved March 7, 2013. According to a verdict delivered by the Municipal Court in Prague on March 5, 2013, it was proven that Blythe had shoved Nosek off the stage and Blythe thus has the moral responsibility for his death. Due to the circumstances, however, Blythe was held not criminally liable with most of the blame lying with the promoters and the security members. The State Attorney appealed the verdict, but the acquittal was upheld by the Prague High Court on June 5, 2013.

Discography

Blythe at Wacken Open Air 2013

With Lamb of God

Demos (as Burn the Priest)

*Demo Tape (1995, independently released) *Split with ZED (1997, Goatboy Records) *Split with Agents of Satan (1998, Deaf American Recordings) *''Sevens and More'' (1998,

mp3.com MP3.com was a website operated by Paramount Global publishing tabloid-style news items about digital music and artists, songs, services, and technologies. It is better known for its original incarnation as a legal, free music-sharing service, ...

)

Studio albums

*'' Burn the Priest'' (1999, Legion Records) *'' New American Gospel'' (2000, Prosthetic Records) *'' As the Palaces Burn'' (2003, Prosthetic Records) *''

Ashes of the Wake ''Ashes of the Wake'' is the fourth studio album and first major-label release by American heavy metal band Lamb of God, released in 2004 via Epic Records. The album debuted at number 27 on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 35,000 copies in its ...

'' (2004, Sony / BMG Music) *''

Sacrament A sacrament is a Christian rite which is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence, number and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments to be a visible symbol ...

'' (2006, Sony / BMG Music) *''

Wrath Anger, also known as wrath ( ; ) or rage, is an intense emotional state involving a strong, uncomfortable and non-cooperative response to a perceived provocation, hurt, or threat. A person experiencing anger will often experience physical ef ...

'' (2009, Sony / Roadrunner) *'' Resolution'' (2012, Epic / Roadrunner) *'' VII: Sturm und Drang'' (2015, Epic / Nuclear Blast) *'' Legion: XX'' (2018, Epic / Nuclear Blast) *''

'' (2020, Epic / Nuclear Blast) *''

Omens An omen (also called ''portent'') is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change. It was commonly believed in ancient history, and still believed by some today, that omens bring divine messages ...

'' (2022, Epic / Nuclear Blast)

Guest appearances

* ''The Mercury Lift'' (2003) by Haste − guest vocals on "God Reclaims His Throne" * ''Without Any Remorse'' (2004) by Bloodshoteye − guest vocals on "F.U.B.A.R" * ''

'' (2005) by

− guest vocals on "Vulture" * '' Immortalis'' (2007) by

− guest vocals on "Skulls and Bones" * ''Iron Gag'' (2007) by A Life Once Lost − guest vocals on "Pigeonholed" *'' Absentee'' (2008) by

− guest vocals on "So Low" *''Lesser Traveled Waters'' (2008) by Gollum − guest vocals on "Cross-Pollenation" * ''

'' (2008) by

− guest vocals on "Adoration for None" * '' Icons of the Illogical'' (2009) by

The Kris Norris Projekt Kris Norris (born August 31, 1978) is an American musician. He is a former guitarist for heavy metal bands Scar the Martyr, Darkest Hour and Threat Signal. He is also known for his stints as touring guitarist for God Forbid and Straight Line ...

– lead vocals * ''

'' (2009) by

− guest vocals on "King of Nothing" * ''

Jasta A ''Jagdstaffel'' (plural ''Jagdstaffeln'', abbreviated to Jasta) was a fighter ''Staffel'' (squadron) of the German Imperial ''Luftstreitkräfte'' during World War I. Background Before April 1916, ''Die Fliegertruppen des deutschen Kaise ...

'' (2011) by Jasta – guest vocals on "Enslaved, Dead or Depraved" * Tour dates with Chthonic in Taiwan as guest vocals *

(2012) – guest vocals on the 'Cory Smoot Memorial' show *

(2012) – "You Only Live Once" (vocals) at the Ending is the Beginning: Mitch Lucker Memorial Show *

Teenage Time Killers Teenage Time Killers is a rock/punk supergroup formed in February 2014 by My Ruin guitarist Mick Murphy and Corrosion of Conformity drummer Reed Mullin. Guests include Dave Grohl (former drummer of Nirvana and current lead singer of the Foo ...

(2015) – guest vocals on "Hung Out to Dry" *

(2015) – guest vocals on "Gift of pain" * ''Aquatic Occult'' (2016) by

Sourvein Sourvein is an American sludge metal band that formed in Cape Fear, North Carolina during 1993. The band has released four full-length albums, three EPs, and various 7" splits. Discography *Split with Buzzoven (Mudflap, 1995) *''He's No Go ...

– guest vocals on "Ocypuss" * Westfield Massacre (2016) – guest vocals on "Underneath the Skin" *

(2016) – guest vocals (live) on "Dream House" at Hollywood, California * ''Ironshore'' (2016) by

Oni An ( ) is a kind of ''yōkai'', demon, orc, ogre, or troll in Japanese folklore. They are believed to live in caves or deep in the mountains or in hell. Oni are known for their superhuman strength and have been associated with powers like th ...

– guest vocals on "The Only Cure" * ''

Bloodlust Bloodlust may refer to: * Homicidal ideation * Human hematophagy * '' Bloodlust!'', a 1961 thriller film * ''Bloodlust'', the home video title of the 1981 film '' Docteur Jekyll et les femmes'' * ''Bloodlust'' (1992 film), a 1992 Australian vampi ...

'' (2017) by

– guest vocals on "Walk with Me…" * ''Doyle II: As We Die'' (2017) by Doyle – guest vocals on "Virgin Sacrifice" * ''Souls of the Revolution'' (2017) by

ChthoniC In Greek mythology, deities referred to as chthonic () or chthonian () were gods or spirits who inhabited the underworld or existed in or under the earth, and were typically associated with death or fertility. The terms "chthonic" and "chthonian" ...

– guest vocals * '' Outlaws 'til the End: Vol. 1'' (2018) by

– guest vocals on " Whiskey River" * ''

'' (2018) by

– guest vocals on "Dead Behind the Eyes" * ''

Anesthetic An anesthetic (American English) or anaesthetic (British English; see spelling differences) is a drug used to induce anesthesia ⁠— ⁠in other words, to result in a temporary loss of sensation or awareness. They may be divided into t ...

'' (2019) by Mark Morton – guest vocals on "Truth Is Dead" (with

Alissa White-Gluz Alissa White-Gluz (; born 31 July 1985) is a Canadian singer, best known as the lead vocalist of the Swedish melodic death metal band Arch Enemy, and former lead vocalist and founding member of the Canadian metalcore band The Agonist. Her vocal ...

Arch Enemy Arch Enemy is a Swedish melodic death metal band, originally a Supergroup (music), supergroup from Halmstad, formed in 1995. Its members were in bands such as Carcass (band), Carcass, Armageddon (Swedish band), Armageddon, Carnage (band), Carna ...

) * ''

Ategnatos ''Ategnatos'' is the eighth studio album by Swiss folk metal band Eluveitie. The album was released on 5 April 2019 through Nuclear Blast. It is their longest studio album to date. Reception The album received positive reviews wherein the writ ...

'' (2019) by

– guest vocals/narration on "Worship" * The Weathermaker Vault Series, Volume 1 (2020) by

– guest vocals on "Passive Restraints" * ''

Veritas In Roman mythology, Veritas (), meaning Truth, is the Goddess of Truth, a daughter of Saturn (mythology), Saturn (called Cronus by the Greeks, the Titan (mythology), Titan of Time, perhaps first by Plutarch) and the mother of Virtus (deity), Vi ...

'' (2024) by

P.O.D. P.O.D. (an initialism for Payable on Death) is an American nu metal band formed in 1992 and based in San Diego, California. The band's line-up consists of vocalist Paul Joshua "Sonny" Sandoval, bassist Mark "Traa" Daniels, lead guitarist Mar ...

– guest vocals on "Drop" * ''

Lacuna Coil Lacuna Coil is an Italian gothic metal band from Milan. Since their formation in 1994, the group has had two name changes, being previously known as Sleep of Right and Ethereal, and they have recorded ten studio albums, two extended plays, two l ...

'' (2024) – guest vocals on "Hosting the Shadow"

Filmography

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blythe, Randy 1971 births American baritones American heavy metal singers 20th-century American singers 21st-century American singers Lamb of God (band) members Living people Manslaughter trials People acquitted of manslaughter Musicians from Maryland People from Fort Meade, Maryland Candidates in the 2012 United States presidential election Teenage Time Killers members Pigface members Thrash metal musicians Metalcore singers