Randy Blythe

Yes, it's the center of my existence.

14.

14.

14.

I started drinking when I was about 18. And the longer I stay sober, the more I realize how different my drinking was from the beginning. Whereas everybody drinks when they're young, at least in our age group. Sure. My friends would drink and most of them, even on the weekend, maybe get a hangover or whatever and then go on about their life. But with me, when I drank, strange things happened.

I started drinking when I was about 18. And the longer I stay sober, the more I realize how different my drinking was from the beginning. Whereas everybody drinks when they're young, at least in our age group. Sure. My friends would drink and most of them, even on the weekend, maybe get a hangover or whatever and then go on about their life. But with me, when I drank, strange things happened.

I started drinking when I was about 18. And the longer I stay sober, the more I realize how different my drinking was from the beginning. Whereas everybody drinks when they're young, at least in our age group. Sure. My friends would drink and most of them, even on the weekend, maybe get a hangover or whatever and then go on about their life. But with me, when I drank, strange things happened.

I wound up in weird places with weird people doing weird things at times. And... That was even before my band. So once I joined a band... You can get away with a lot of stuff when you're in a band that you can't at a regular job.

I wound up in weird places with weird people doing weird things at times. And... That was even before my band. So once I joined a band... You can get away with a lot of stuff when you're in a band that you can't at a regular job.

I wound up in weird places with weird people doing weird things at times. And... That was even before my band. So once I joined a band... You can get away with a lot of stuff when you're in a band that you can't at a regular job.

Yes, exactly. And when we finally signed to a major, I'd been in the band... nine years at the time, I guess, when our first major label record came out. And we didn't get millions of dollars a piece or anything, but we had to make a decision when our first major label record came out. Like, okay, are we going to devote ourselves full time to this?

Yes, exactly. And when we finally signed to a major, I'd been in the band... nine years at the time, I guess, when our first major label record came out. And we didn't get millions of dollars a piece or anything, but we had to make a decision when our first major label record came out. Like, okay, are we going to devote ourselves full time to this?

Yes, exactly. And when we finally signed to a major, I'd been in the band... nine years at the time, I guess, when our first major label record came out. And we didn't get millions of dollars a piece or anything, but we had to make a decision when our first major label record came out. Like, okay, are we going to devote ourselves full time to this?

Or are we going to continue to weekend warrior this and work when we can and tour when we can? It was a very scary time in my life. I've been working since I was 12.

Or are we going to continue to weekend warrior this and work when we can and tour when we can? It was a very scary time in my life. I've been working since I was 12.

Or are we going to continue to weekend warrior this and work when we can and tour when we can? It was a very scary time in my life. I've been working since I was 12.

Yes, burn the boats. Time to do this. And the odds of success, particularly given the nature of our band, are not good. Right. They're not. We're never going to deliver a radio hit.

Yes, burn the boats. Time to do this. And the odds of success, particularly given the nature of our band, are not good. Right. They're not. We're never going to deliver a radio hit.

Yes, burn the boats. Time to do this. And the odds of success, particularly given the nature of our band, are not good. Right. They're not. We're never going to deliver a radio hit.

When I quit the day job and the band became full-time, I no longer had any sort of restraint, except for when I was on stage or in the studio. There's nothing telling me not to drink every day.