Singer Randy Blythe wrote the track pre-coronavirus outbreak to remember not to be consumed by "electronic harbingers of doom."
Groove metal act Lamb of God has released a video for its latest single, “Momento Mori,” from its upcoming self-titled album, due May 8 on Epic Records.
In a statement, member Randy Blythe said that he wrote the song months before the coronavirus outbreak as a reminder “to not be consumed by the omnipresent electronic harbingers of doom that surround us — cellphones, computers and television screens. While these devices can be useful tools, and it is important to stay informed, it is equally important to remain engaged with the real, physical world we live in, not just digitally filtered representations of reality. I wrote the narrative music video treatment a few months ago to illustrate how warped and myopic our mental states can become when we fail to remain engaged with that reality — if all you pay attention to is catastrophe, then soon you will begin to see monsters everywhere you look.”
The singer also stated, “There is a vast amount of indisputably real and depressingly negative occurrences happening across the globe” due to the pandemic.
“This is a very real concern, and proper precautions need to be taken by EVERYONE in order to protect those most at risk — the elderly, infirm and immunocompromised,” he said. “It is indeed a scary time, but in this hyperconnected age with its 24/7 never-ending news cycle of atrocity, outrage and lurid click-bait headlines (not to mention ill-informed lunatics running amok and spreading misinformation and panic on social media), it is all too easy to lose sight of the fact that life is still carrying on, and good things do in fact still happen.”
Watch the video for “Momento Mori” below:
“Music has always been there for me, raising my spirits during hard times, and it is my hope that this song’s positive message will do the same for fans of our music right now and beyond,” said Blythe. “The release date for the tune was set a good while ago, but the timing seems eerily prescient to me now. So enjoy the song and video, and then remember to step away from the screens for a bit — real life is waiting for you. We only get one shot, so don’t waste this day. Everyone be well, keep a cool head, take care of yourselves and take care of EACH OTHER.”
Blythe told Billboard.com in a recent interview: “I don’t want to be a complete nihilist. Sometimes I’ll be leaning that way, and then I’ll think, ‘Wow, right now, a mother somewhere just gave birth to her child and is picking it up and seeing it for the first time. Somewhere, a couple is falling in love. Somewhere, someone is helping someone in trouble because it feels like the right thing for them to do.’ All of that stuff is happening, and it makes me think that there may be some hope after all.”
Lamb of God originally planned to start touring behind its new album at the end of March in Europe with Kreator and Power Trip. However, the pandemic forced the band to postpone the trek (which was called State of Unrest, ironically). The group still hopes to launch a tour with Megadeth, Trivium and In Flames on June 12 in Bristow, Va., pending the containment of the disease. Dates are scheduled through Nov. 13 in Reno, Nev.