God Forbid vocalist Byron Davis interviewed Wednesday, March 25, 2009 while getting some grub in Jersey.

Hello?

Hey, hello?

Hey, this is Byron Davis from God Forbid.

What’s going on today Byron?

What’s the good word, man?

Not much. Where are you at today?

I’m ridin’ with my friends. I’m about to go get some cheese steaks.

Nice. Are you out in Jersey?

Yeah, we’re at home right now.

Nice. I’m in the big ‘ol state of Montana.

Oh yeah.

You guys are going to be just north of here in Calgary next month and it’s getting cold here again.

That’s not good.

It’s snowing here today as we speak.

Really? That sucks.

Congratulations on the release of ‘Earthsblood.’ Having been four years since the last release, how stoked are you to have this new batch of songs out there for people?

I’m pretty excited. It’s always cool to write some new songs and be able to play some new songs. Especially songs that are progressively different than the last ones we wrote. It’s got some heavy as hell parts in it. Just smash your face into the ground. So, we’re pretty excited. I know I am.

There’s definitely an evolution in melody for the band. The best example on the album is the song ‘The New Clear.’

Yeah.

It’s got that awesome Opeth vibe to it. Tell me about incorporating the more melodic vocals into the music as you did on that tune and a couple of the other ones.

It’s experimentation, man. Dude’s had a couple ideas about what they wanted to do and were willing to lay it on the line and try different things. The combination of the melodies of the music as well as Dallas’ voice makes it work. With his phrasing and the cleanliness of his tone singing wise works very well for that song. That song’s is so airy and it’s so spacey that you need to have a very clean voice in order to pull it off. You can’t be a raspy singer and make it work. I think the song, Dallas and the song compliment each other. Along with the fact that he wrote most of the song.

Now that it’s out and I’m assuming you’ve already played it live or you’re at least planning on it. Are you guys looking at the next wave of songs and thinking of maybe going in more of that kind of direction?

To be honest, I don’t know man. We wrote the song. At some point we’ll play the song, but right now we’re not playing the song. We’re eventually looking to expand the sound for God Forbid and go into different areas musically. We haven’t really been at a point yet on this cycle to pull that song out in the proper environment so to speak for it.

God Forbid is in a genre that’s become pretty congested in the past five years or so. That isn’t to say it’s a bad thing, but there are so many great and talented bands out there and as a fan, you’re presented with all these choices and you have to pick and choose what you’re gonna follow. Why do you think people are drawn to this band?

I just think our band speaks from the heart for one reason. The second reason is that we’ve been around for 10 years doing it and we always create a new product each time. We’re that band that’s unpredictable. You can’t predict what we’re doing next. Unlike a lot of the bands that are in the genre that we’re in. Some of ‘em just cling to a formula that works for this band or that band without really trying to expand the core of the unit. I think that’s what we do. I think that’s where we’re different because we’re not afraid to take chances. We can’t be labeled anymore than we’re already labeled. We just hang out with our wang out and do what we wanna do.

That’s a good point. This so-called New Wave of American Heavy Metal is sort of stabilizing and the strong bands that have been awhile and have managed to reinvent themselves with each album like yourselves and Lamb of God and Slipknot. Do you see yourselves as rising to the top?

I don’t know necessarily if we rise to the top, but we definitely have a slow burn, which means we create longevity for ourselves with what we do. The fact of the matter is that we’re not afraid to take chances, we’re not afraid to experiment, we’re willing to do something different or what is considered not cool because it’s not what everyone else is doing. We keep it real without trying to sound cliché. We write from our hearts. I think that’s where it all starts from. No matter how bad it might get for us individually or as a group unit, when it comes to creating music together, we always back up each other and we’re there for each other and we push each other’s buttons to get the best out of each of us. That’s one of the things that makes us so unique, our band.

After you’ve been around for long enough you either have members that don’t work out and get replaced or you have members that stick together through everything. You guys seem to be pretty tight knit. How do you manage to get along and keep things going?

We don’t really always get along, but we learn to give each other space. Let people breath and don’t harp on each other. When we’re not touring, we stay out of each other’s way. We hang out but we keep our own personal identities throughout all of that. When it comes time for us to get into the room, we argue and we do all of that, but we only argue because we’re pushing each other to get to the next level and to create that next better product. We love metal that much that we can tolerate each other’s differences and still come together to make amazing metal and I think that’s a part of it. Plus, I think the way each of us were raised or grew up, we have common threads between us one way or another. It’s basically all for one, one for all.

As a vocalist, how do you keep yourself fresh and energized for shows knowing that you have to kick your own ass every night?

I just go in there knowing that I have to kick my ass every night and have fun with it. I think my biggest thing is that in order for me to really be able to do this and enjoy it and be progressive is, sometimes I’ll act a fool, act crazy, come up with little catch phrases like ‘two egg rolls,’ or ‘hot sauce.’ I do silly things to make myself happy and keep myself content until the next show. It’s a mental thing, man. Being in the music business is a mental game. It’s a physical game, but it’s more mental than physical. You’ve gotta do everything you can in your power to stay on top or claw your way to the top ‘cause there’s always someone there to rip you down.

You definitely have an amazing crew of musicians around you, more specifically Doc and Dallas. I’ve talked to Doc a couple of times over the years and have picked his brain about the guitar side of things, but I was wondering how you look at their ability to write these amazing riffs and hooks as a guy standing next to them every night?

I think it’s really cool. They pretty much display the attitude that we all have. For us it’s all about the music. It really is about the music ‘cause that’s why we got into it and it’s why we do it. Doc is at the forefront of the music scene. He knows about every new band that comes out. He loves his metal. That’s a lot of where Doc’s skills come from because he’s very serious about his instrument. Doc is a very serious person in general but he’s very serious about his guitar and his music. He’s always got his creative mind running around in circles and up and down escalators and acting a fool mentally and always asking himself this question or that question. Writing whole songs in his head. Mo’fucker’s crazy.

Dire moods definitely create dire music and we’re living through this historical time where people seem to down and there’s constant reminders of shit that’s going wrong or shit that will go wrong any day now. As a musician do you feel a responsibility to nurture a fanbase out there through your point of view and your lyrics and what you see?

I think as a musician it’s important for me to make a statement in a positive way and not necessarily … in a positive way and not necessarily preaching to you but keeping you aware. Everyone has their own life to live and there’s a lot of personal distractions that people go through but sometimes you’ve gotta think about the bigger picture. Being allowed the opportunity to stand in front of hundreds of thousands of people, I think it’s important that you have something to say so everyone’s on the same page and knowing what’s going on around you so you’re not too caught up in your own little world. I think it’s important to know what’s going on in your world around you but also know that you’re a part of something bigger and to be affiliated with that in a way to make some kind of positive change. The music will last forever. I could die today or tomorrow, but my beliefs will be here long after I’m gone. I think it’s important to try and let people know that you take what you do very seriously but at the same time you can have fun with it but there are issues that are out there and that really need to be addressed. I think that any musician who is a humanitarian should be able to speak their minds and say something that can reverb or echo through to someone else in their lifetime. That’s a weird question. It’s easier to write that question down than to verbally answer it. I think it’s important to have something to say every now and then as opposed to ‘let’s party,’ ‘let’s get fucked up,’ ‘let’s mess with these bitches,’ or ‘let’s talk to these ladies.’ Gotta take the good with the bad.

Do you think people are craving that musical intervention more now than they were maybe 10 years ago?

I would have to say it’s torn. I’ve noticed an influx of older people coming to our shows. Cats that are like 35 or older. I had a guy who was like 62 run up to me at Pep Boys. He was like ‘Yo, I love your band. You guys something very positive to say.’ Things like that are very cool to hear. It’s definitely cool to write rock songs and have a good time, but once again there are real issues. People that are older, and some younger cats, that can hear the music and see that there’s a message inside the music that’s inside just the music. It’s cool that you can affect positive change in someone else’s life and do something that helps them through their day and they kind of understand where you’re coming from. It’s all about being able to relate to people. I can’t relate to people on a physical one-on-one basis but I can do that in a song. I’m happy about that.

With this new regime in office in the states, do you have a more optimistic view of the future of this nation than you did maybe a year ago?

Yes we can and yes I do (laughs). I think it’s cool. It definitely shows the growth of America as a whole that he was able to win the biggest job in the United States is saying something. That the American dream is possible. That you can succeed if you work hard enough and try hard enough. Some people hate Barack and some people love him. I definitely am encouraged by the fact that he’s trying to do something positive to change the way people think about Americans. Being all over the world, man, I’ve gotta tell you before he got into office, there was no love for Americans, man. They all thought we were like George Bush, redneck cowboys with fucking belt buckles and cowboy boots and that’s not the case. This country was built on different ethnic groups trying to come here to get away from the bullshit. To have someone with an ethnic background says that here you can get away from the bullshit and be something if you’re dedicated and you wanna succeed. I’m very happy about that. I hope the mo’fucker doesn’t get assassinated or run into some bullshit but that’s the world that we live in. I hope the best for him. I hope he gets another four years. Then I hope his wife runs. That would be cool.

I just think it’s great to have a president in office who can convey his thoughts on his own and not sound like a complete idiot.

Yeah. Hopefully, I’m hoping that he’s given the opportunity to make his vision come to reality. Even though he’s in office there’s still certain people that he has to go through to make it happen and hopefully there’ll be real bipartisanship as far as making things better for our country and the world as a whole.

When I talked to Doc back in 2004, he told me that you guys have always had to work twice as hard to get the same things other people got very easily. In the five years since he said that, do you feel like you’ve been able to gain the respect of people in the business, both fans and other bands, or do you still feel like you have to work harder than your peers?

I mean, no matter what, we’re always gonna have to work harder. We’re the constant underdog. History has shown it time and time again. That’s alright ‘cause we have a great work ethic so it doesn’t bother us that we have to work twice as hard. That’s why our music is so good because we take the time to really focus in on the music and make it the best it can be. As far as the industry goes, we get the respect from the proper people that we need to get it from and that’s all that really matters. When your peers admire what you do or find something good with what you’ve done, that’s all you can really hope for. There’s a lot of bands and there’s a lot of musicians out there who don’t really have the respect of their peers. They might have success but if other people don’t wanna work with you than what’s the point in it? You gotta take the good with the bad. That’s what we do. As far as the fans go, we’re always there for our fans. We’re one of the most fan interactive bands that there is. Every show I go to, I’m always out in the crowd. I’m always walking around. I’m never playing a show and then hiding in my tour bus or van or dressing room. I hang out and I mingle. I’m not an outgoing person, but I’m trying to be a more outgoing person because the reason we’re playing these shows is because people wanna come see us. If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be there. They’re the reason why I’m there. I feel it’s important for me to be around and have them speak to me if they would like to. Have an opportunity to talk to someone that wrote something or play a song that changed your life or brightened up your day. That’s the best feeling that you could ever have or want. To have a positive effect on someone.

You’ve got the No Fear tour coming up with Lamb of God. Talk about how you’re feeling going into what promises to be a brutal tour.

I’m pretty excited. We haven’t toured with Lamb of God since like 2001. It’s gonna be a good time to see the cats and have fun. See my boy Randy and the Adlers and Campbell and Morton. It’s gonna be a good time. I’m pretty stoked about it actually. There’s a lot of bands on there. There’s gonna be a lot of competition. There’s gonna be some long nights, I’m sure some heavy drinking and some laughs. Shit like that. It’s gonna be all fun. Good times. I’m waiting for Randy to make me some corn bread. He was supposed to make me some corn bread but he never made it. I’m about to call him out on that shit when I see him. He got time to cook now. I’m excited. We’re all excited.

If you could share the stage with any bands past or present, which ones would you choose?

I’d like to play with Iron Maiden. I’d like to play with Metallica. Everyone wants to play with Metallica. Other than that, I’ve pretty much played with all the bands I’d wanna play with. I’d like to play with Megadeth too but I hear he doesn’t wanna tour with our band because of the name so that might not ever happen. Other than that, I’ve pretty much played with everyone that I’ve wanted to play with or have had an opportunity to play with. I’m really happy with the opportunities we’ve been given on this record and the last record. Everyone that we meet is really cool and down to earth so that makes it even better. There’s no rock star vibes going on around me anyway or the people that I talk to.

Just so you know, five years ago when I asked that question to Doc, he said Metallica, Megadeth, Sepultura and Lamb of God. You guys are kind of on the same page.

Yeah.

Alright Byron. I appreciate you taking the time to visit me.

Thank you very much. We’ll be there soon man. We’re trying to play every place in the United States and every country in the world. At some point we’ll get there. One way or another.

Cool, man. Thanks.

Thanks a lot. Take care.