Photo by Justin Nuoffer
Accomplished Lamb of God frontman and published author Randy Blythe has announced he will return to the longform written format with the news of his second book entitled ‘Just Beyond The Light: Making Peace With The Wars Inside Our Head‘. The book is set for a February 18th release date next year and will arrive via Grand Central Publishing.
For Blythe, the effort marks his second crack at longform publishing, having released his acclaimed debut in 2015, 'Dark Days: A Memoir'. His initial release dove into great detail the frontman's life-changing experience in the Czech Republic in which the frontman faced prison and a lengthy trial stemming from a tragic incident at a Lamb of God concert in 2010.
For the follow-up book, Blythe details his approach to life and maintaining a sense of positivity and optimism, despite living in a world that often nurtures chaos and division. Blythe described the book as a "tight, concise roadmap of how I have attempted to maintain what I believe to be a proper perspective in life, even during difficult times." Detailing his sobriety, along with his continued passion for art, photography and surfing, the frontman delves into themes of self-empowerment, self-discovery and his sense of responsibility to make the world a better place.
In an interview with RVA Magazine, Blythe offered some insight to the moving, personal depth of the forthcoming book. "It is about trying to maintain a balanced perspective in the world right now, and in order for me to do that, I have to look to other people I admire. One of those people I write about is my grandmother, who was 94. I was beside her when she died, and I was grateful for that because it was post-COVID. I interviewed her over the course of two days and learned about her life. I asked her what the biggest difference is between [her generation] the modern age we’re in right now—she didn’t say computers or globalism; she said people are not as close as they used to be.”
In discussing how the book differs from his previous release in the straight forward memoir style of 'Dark Days', Blythe explained, “It’s not strictly a memoir. Basically, it’s about people and experiences that I have learned from. I have tried to internalize lessons from their behavior, which I find admirable and have changed my perspective for the better. [Referencing the interview] I have said some pretty nihilistic things, but I’m still going to do my best to fight the good fight until the day I die—this book is about that.”
Pre-orders for the book are currently available via Grand Central Publishing - HERE