“Reality Is Stepping Off the Front Porch”: Lamb of God’s Mark Morton on Gratitude, Ozzy, and DIY Philly Shows

When Lamb of God set their sights on album number ten, they made a conscious decision to reset. Sonically, Into Oblivion is a reverent blend of their past eras: groovy, punishing, and unmistakably theirs. Aesthetically, the band is leaning into the early 2000s revival, giving their logo a facelift and matching it up with neon green, caged hive-mind on the album's cover. With that return-to-roots mindset, it felt fitting to celebrate their album release with a show at Philadelphia's Theatre of Living Arts on South Street.

"We were coming up here when we were a van-and-trailer band, sleeping on people’s floors and playing abandoned warehouses," guitarist Mark Morton reminisced. "People thought we were from Philadelphia, we were here so much."

That history turned into pure energy when the band took the stage shortly after Mark’s interview with Radio Sara at WMMR. Philly still feels like a home away from home for the Richmond, Virginia metallers. Old favorites like "Ruin" and "Blood Junkie" hit just as hard as the newer songs, including the live debuts of "Into Oblivion" and "Parasocial Christ."

The TLA is the smallest room Lamb of God has played in over two decades, and the stage could barely contain them as they unleashed their fury on the fans who were lucky enough to snag a ticket via a lottery system ($15, old school prices). The crowd responded with Killadelphia-era ferociousness.

Since those early days, it's been a long but rewarding road for Lamb of God. Mark has been open about his own struggles with addiction and loss, chronicled in his memoir Desolation. Even now, he says that "there's no shortage of scary, dark, doomy things to write about," which fueled the aggressive energy of their new album.

Despite the darkness, staying grounded is a priority.

"Reality is stepping off the front porch. It's not in this little box in my hand," Mark said, gesturing to his phone. He later added: "If I'm already fast-forwarding to the next thing in my mind, then I miss out… For the TLA show, I just want to be present for it. That group of people, in that room, at that moment in time - honor how unique and special that is, and honor the joy that's happening in there and be a present observer, grateful to be a part of channeling all that."

In their conversation, Mark and Sara also discussed Ozzy Osbourne's final performance (and how there was no rehearsal for Back to the Beginning), Mark's solo work and collaborations with artists he admires, and the evolving musical landscape, from the fading prominence of the album format to the enduring influence of bands like the Grateful Dead.

Pick up Into Oblivion at your local record store, and see Lamb Of God on tour through the U.S. in the spring and abroad this summer. 

Follow WMMR's Sara (@radio_sara) on Instagram, Threads and TikTok, or get in touch by calling or texting the Pierre Robert Studios during her show on Sunday afternoons from 3-7pm: 610-660-9333.

Interview filmed and edited by Breakdown Media