Interview With Austrian Death Machine's Tim Lambesis!

Austrian Death Machine

is the new action-packed side-project from

As I Lay Dying

frontman Tim Lambesis.

A tribute to the great Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, Tim wrote all the songs and played all the instruments himself - then drafted in the fictional persona of Ahhhnold to cut vocals...

TG: Firstly, why?

Tim: "Whenever a new band comes out I often hear it said, 'that's exactly what you'd expect from a heavy band.' I beg to differ. Austrian Death Machine is exactly what you should hear from a heavy band.

TG: And what is that?

Tim: 1. A continuously fast paced tempo you can always circle pit to. 2. The obvious build up to a breakdown you'll know how to mosh to. 3. Classic sing alongs to pile up and sing along with. 4. A guitar solo in every song. And the obvious key component - cliche vocals that sound really angry!"

TG: Haven't Arnocorps already done this?

Tim: "There is not a rivalry between the two bands, but it seems the some of the fans enjoy making a rivalry out of us. Realistically we are pretty noticeably different in both sound and concept. They are a punk band and Austrian Death Machine is a metal band. Furthermore, their concept has nothing to do with Arnold himself because they claim he helped Hollywood "bastardize" their great Austrian tales. On the other hand, Austrian Death Machine claims Ahhnold to be the front man and is absolutely in favor of him as the one who I believe makes all of this stuff entertaining in the first place."

TG: How did you find time to do this project whilst fronting As I Lay Dying?

Tim: "I recorded a little bit every time I was home between tours with As I Lay Dying. I usually get two weeks off after every month we're on tour. It took about four weeks. Since the band is just me, the songwriting process was easy. I didn't have to teach anyone else how the play the parts! The harder part was recording everything because I had to be there for everything. I still think it was a fun process and I enjoyed it more because it was done at my own studio. The drums were all worked out in about a week and then I started adding layers on top of that. Vocals went the fastest. I actually only wrote the main chorus lines for each song and then I would come up with the rest of the lyrics whenever I was tracking."

TG: What's your favourite Arnie quote?

Tim: "On the brutal side I like 'Here is subzero, now plain zero' and on the comedic side I like 'Chill out dickwad.'

TG: Who was Arnie's best ever kill?

Tim: "Predator of course. Any of us would be proud to know someone that outsmarted and out-muscled an alien, and Arnie did just that to not just any alien, but the supreme warrior tribe of aliens known as Predator."

TG: If Arnie could play a guitar, which one would it be?

Tim: "I think he would play an Explorer body style. That's already a guitar for people with a big build and Arnie would just make it look that much more brutal."

TG: Who would be in the definitive Hollywood death metal band?

Tim: "If Arnold had more time then the ultimate brutal band would be a one man project featuring him on all instruments. Unfortunately, he's been too busy being the governator so he would have to hire other musicians like he has done with Austrian Death Machine. I'd settle for seeing a band with Arnie on vocals, Sly Stallone on guitar, Dolph Lundgren on bass, and resurrecting Bruce Lee to play drums."

Austrian Death Machine's album Total Brutal is out now on Metal Blade