Lamb of God drummer Art Cruz recently opened up about the band’s approach to their latest album “Into Oblivion,” which was released on March 13. He revealed how they moved away from extreme technical complexity in favor of a more organic sound. His comments were shared in an interview with Arizona Drummer.
Cruz explained how the recording process represented a shift toward a “less is more” philosophy for the band’s newest material.
“I’ve said this a couple of times, especially going into this now as we’ve talked to a lot of people about the record. But it was the most organic thing that we could have done as a band,” Cruz said. “And then I think as a drummer, it was kind of like ‘less is more’ for me, and I wanted to play what I thought 16-year-old Art would’ve wanted to hear.”
The drummer acknowledged how this approach differed from the band’s previous technical style.
“And to be honest with you, that’s kind of weird because some of the old Lamb stuff that was being played before in the past was really technical, and this doesn’t have any sort of extremely technical things,” he continued. “But it’s technical for a player like me. And I kind of just was able to do what I was able to do on my own. I went in very organically. I went in very purely. I went in very motivated.”
Cruz reflected on how his experience with the band influenced this creative process.
“Not that I wasn’t for the last two albums that I’ve done. But in this particular time, in the career with not only the band and how much time I’ve already had under my belt with them, I feel like I just got all the shit out of the way that needed to get done,” he said. “And it was just a lot of learning, evolving. And my creative flow — I think this is the most ‘me’ album.”
He also credited producer Josh Wilbur for helping bring out his creative vision.
“There’s enough technical shit — I’m doing some cool shit — but I shocked myself, honestly, with some of the things that I was doing, and Josh Wilbur, our producer, just really helped bring that out,” Cruz concluded.
Cruz’s comments about the organic nature of “Into Oblivion” take on additional significance when considering the personal journey behind the album’s creation and the band’s current lineup dynamics.
Metal Injection reported that “Into Oblivion” represents Cruz’s first sober record. This makes it his most personal and defining work to date. This personal milestone aligns with his description of the album as “the most ‘me’ album.” It suggests that his newfound sobriety contributed to the authentic, organic approach he described in the recording process.
The album features the core Lamb of God lineup that has solidified since Cruz joined the band. Riff Magazine noted the lineup includes vocalist Randy Blythe, guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler, bassist John Campbell, and Cruz on drums. This stable lineup has allowed the band to develop a cohesive sound that balances technical proficiency with the more streamlined approach Cruz advocated for on this release.
Critics have praised Cruz’s performance on “Into Oblivion.” Teeth of the Divine observed that “the spectacular drum performance from Art Cruz shines through, as it honestly does on the rest of the album.” This recognition validates Cruz’s decision to focus on what felt natural rather than pursuing extreme technical complexity for its own sake.
The collaboration with producer Josh Wilbur, whom Cruz credited for helping bring out his creative vision, continues Lamb of God’s established working relationship with the producer. Wilbur has been a longtime collaborator with the band on their modern era albums. He has helped to shape their sound as they’ve evolved beyond their earlier, more technically demanding material into the more focused approach evident on “Into Oblivion.”
