Just Beyond The Light
Making Peace with the Wars Inside Our Head
Hardcover | Kindle Edition | Audiobook
By D. Randall Blythe
Publisher: Da Capo
Release Date: February 18, 2025

A decade after D. Randall Blythe bared his soul in Dark Days, his gut-wrenching memoir detailing his time served in a Czech prison, the frontman of heavy metal group Lamb of God returns now with Just Beyond The Light, proving to be a modern-day philosopher for the common man. In this introspective work, he tackles subjects like maintaining sobriety, honing one’s craft, embracing positivity, and combatting Internet “armchair experts.”

Extreme metal unit Lamb of God has just announced the impending release of their seventh studio album. Coming this July, the disc will be titled VII: Sturm Und Drang, and is available now for pre-order. You can check out two advanced tracks from the album here below.

It is an album that many Lamb of God fans feared might never happen. Singer Randy Blythe was arrested, charged, and imprisoned in Prague, Czech Republic, in 2012 for his part in the death of a 19-year-old fan in 2010. The fan had jumped onstage and either jumped or was pushed back into the crowd, but the crowd failed to catch him and the fan landed headfirst on the concrete floor of the venue. He later died as the result of the injuries he sustained. Blythe spent 38 days in a Czech prison before making bail. He later returned to the country to face trial and was found to be “morally responsible but not criminally negligent” in the incident. The decision was later appealed, but upheld by a Czech high court. For a more in-depth look at the whole incident be sure to check out the riveting documentary film As the Palaces Burn.

Gwar frontman Dave Brockie was a larger than life figure to his fans, as was his onstage alter ego Oderus Urungus. So when Brockie died of an accidental overdose of heroin on March 23, 2014, the band never dreamed of attempting to pass off someone else in the Oderus costume.

Brockie was laid to rest, eulogized, and mourned at private and public memorials back in the Spring, but the band waited for their annual GwarBQ celebration in their hometown of Richmond, VA, this past weekend to send the scum dog alien that was Oderus Urungus back to the mothership. Fans got to witness a touching tribute to Brockie and his alter ego by friends and fellow musicians, such as Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe, followed by a flaming viking funeral send-off of the Oderus costume.

Watch the full video here below.