"That's a key word 'limit'. We definitely don't want to be limited to a certain era or sound," offers guitarist and down to earth dude Alex Lackner. Lackner's awesome melodic riffage is a huge part of the band’s architecture. "This is stuff that we really wanna hear. When it comes to the thrash stuff, that's what inspired us, but so many bands are doing the old 80's bay area thrash. Not only the music, but how they dress. Cool. To each his own, but in today's day and age there is so much other shit going on. We wanna be ourselves. We are a thrash band, but we don't want to be labeled as one as we progress. We want to just be a good band that people know about," Lackner emphasizes.

The problem with a lot of newer metal bands, particularly in the metalcore genre of late, is that they often sell themselves short and become self-parodying. While standout records like Poison The Well's Tear From The Red or Killswitch Engage's The End Of Heartache come to mind in the last few years, often metalcore became the new nomenclature by which heavy bands were marketed to death and subsequently pigeonholed themselves. Lazarus A.D. are already being lumped in with a thrash revival, but their breadth of vision is more far reaching. Lazarus will appeal to heavy music fans who like a sense of necessity in their metal (as in, the band seem like they "had" to write it or that it touches on life's struggles in a way that needed to be vented), but the band don't clobber fans with rigid dogma. The Onslaught is just as much of a musical barrage as an interpretive canvas to re-interpret within your own frame of reference.

"When it comes to lyrics, that's all Jeff. A lot of the lyrics in the songs have a lot of different meaning, whether it be personal, political or anything happening in today's day and age," says Alex. "It's all over the place, but they are written so everyone else can relate on their own level. We have our own meaning but it’s cool if you can have your own."

The Onslaught was first recorded by the band and initially mastered by Discarnate/Testament/Obituary death metal legend James Murphy. When the band was picked up by Metal Blade, who noticed Lazarus A.D.'s drive, James was a show in for a remix and remastering.

"We played with Anthrax at The Rave in '06, I believe," says Lackner." It was shortly after that that we went out and did the record. It sounds way different now. It's punchy as hell! It sounds great. We went back to James and he just killed it. When we recorded the first time we went to Bell City Sound in Racine,Wisconsin. The studio we went to had the connection and we could have gone with James or with Trevor Sadler, who'd done work with Nine Inch Nails. Initially we were debating because Trevor was based out of Milwaukee, which was right there, but James is a legend in the metal community. He's been around the block. We sent it to James and we knew he'd make it sound great. When it came for the remaster he was really on board."

Like Slipknot, whose Iowa roots added an isolated rage and snarl to their music, Lazarus are a band from the sticks who have a lot of pent up aggression. I ask Alex how his environment shaped Lazarus' sound.

"Growing up in a town out here sucks. There isn't shit to do," Alex confirms. "We got involved with music and we are fans of it. It doesn't matter if its metal, rap or jam music. We like it. When we first started, it was with metal, some of our biggest influences. Being out here and not having much to do, you end up practicing your instruments a lot. Initially we were all in separate bands and then the three of them got together and needed another guitarist. I was in a band and couldn't do it, but then a month later dipped out of that band and they heard through the grapevine and asked me a day later!"

I joke that they must have been stalking him waiting to strike.

"I think they were," says Alex, laughing."It's pretty fucked up! I tried out and it fit perfectly. They knew right off the bat. I didn't know what to expect but we were exactly what each other were looking for."

The Onslaught has moving, melodic flourishes and you can tell there is a dynamic between the players that resounds due to the time they've probably spent hanging out and being obsessive about composition.

"That's a big thing. When it came to our stage performances, we're not just ones to play the music onstage," says Lackner."We want to interact with the crowd and be an awesome spectacle. We want everyone to have as much fun as we're having. Playing music in general, that's what you have to do, otherwise you're just gonna be a drunk alcoholic that goes nowhere. There's plenty of those people out here."

You might as well be an alcoholic raging on tour instead!

"In terms of where we're looking to go, honestly, we want to go to the top," admits Alex. "It's not a matter of being nervous. It's 'Let's do this!' We are really excited and know what we're looking for and are willing to put the effort in. We played around and did tours and got in contact with people. It was surprising to see we could get into the business at such a high level. A lot of bands start at rock bottom. I mean, we did too, but a lot of doors opened. Instead of taking step by step it was like getting in an elevator and being taken up. It's a lot to handle and a lot of pressure but we're gonna do what we have to do. We want this."

The Onslaught's lead single "Thou Shall Not Fear" is going to be the record’s first video, a song that showcases Lazarus A.D.'s ability to toy with marching tempos before exploding brains. The fluid soloing over the stomp of the songs intro is just sick, and then gives way to a metal-thrashing mad charge of utmost proportions. It's downright murderous and made for moshing.

"A lot of people have been saying that song has all the elements of perfect thrash," says Alex. "It's gonna be awesome. I know the people doing the video will have specific things they want to do, but I want it to be reminiscent of Metallica and Pantera videos back in the day where it was just them givin' it hell. That's what you wanna see. technically, just the music is what it's about in the first place." "Last Breath" is another powerful and memorable song which is planned as a possible second single from The Onslaught, even though the vocals don't start until 1:30! That might be even longer than John Mellencamp's "I Need A Lover"!

"You'll find a lot of bands that'll have a really long intro or something," says Lackner, adding ,"but more often than not it's very repetitive. Every moment of our song has changes. It has stuff that is constantly catching your attention. Before we recorded anything we were initially looking for a singer and we thought we were fucked and in a rut. We decided we were gonna do it ourselves. Jeff (Paulick) stepped up to the mic and he's been doing awesome ever since, which is great. That's kind of why we have more musical things going on than being completely focused on the vocals. Initially we really focused on the music."

The band is such a guitar-based entity that it makes sense that vocals should have to work to find purchase, though Lazarus is adept at finding space for them in a good way.

"When it comes to metal, you really want all the instruments to have their own place," says Lackner."But the guitars should really be there!"

With so much guitar dominating Lackner's mind, I ask him if he's got an ideal rig to aim for or people he'd like to get endorsements from for his mad skills.

"Aww shit, dude! I can tell you now, I already have my custom guitar ready to go! I just have to find someone that's gonna want to make it," says an enthusiastic Lackner.

I ask if it will be like Krokus' guitars and be shaped like a battle axe.

"I think I'm gonna go with the standard V, but, you know Jed Simon from Strapping Young Lad?," asks Alex. "Well, he was endorsed by ESP for awhile. Most of his guitars are the V-series ones. They aren't like the Mustaine V where the edges are kind of curved. They are completely straight. He's the only person I've seen playing a guitar like that. I thought, fuck it, dude. That's bad ass! I want a guitar like that which looks awesome. Right now, on top of that we're also using Peavey Triple X's, which not a lot of people use. You take what you get and work with it. You're not gonna find the best tone off the bat. You have to work for it."

A lot of people will get an amp or an effects rack and just hit the preset that is a pale comparison to their favorite band.

"Exactly. That's never how I do it," says Alex."It might get annoying, but if you were just chilling, depending on what kind of music I'm listening to I'll be constantly adjusting bass and treble on all sorts of shit. We're a different band. Whether it’s metal, you could listen to Metallica and it is a different mix from another band so you still have to adjust it and tones are the same way. Find what's right for the band."

Lazarus A.D. have already found what clicks for them, even as a "new" band to the scene. The band have unlimited potential and will likely only be set back by the degree of their own work ethic. It would seem highly unlikely metal fans are going to overlook these guys, and they truly shouldn't. Many people will get a chance to see Lazarus smoke their faces off live for the first time opening up for the insane bill of Amon Amarth, Goatwhore and Skeletonwitch. Sammy Duet of Goatwhore (and ex-Crowbar, Acid Bath) is one of the most talented riff craftsmen in all of metal ("Bleed Me An Ocean", anyone?), and the axe-wielding talent of the combined line-up of this upcoming tour is truly "guitarded", to borrow a phrase from Mountain's Leslie West. Each band has their own identity but can still gel.

"It's gonna be our first really big tour. To be honest, I don't think any of us have any idea of how big a caliber it's gonna be," says Lackner."I think it's perfect. We can't wait to get on the road with these guys."

As a big Testament fan myself, I had to ask Alex how it felt when Lazarus got to open for them in Wisconsin last year.

"Dude, that's probably Dan (Gapen)'s favorite band of all time. He was thrilled. To be able to go and play with someone you admire that much!," exclaims Alex. "We had some trial and tribulation. The guys at The Rave, the best place to play out here, they got us on for Anthrax and we were really cool with them. Then Testament came around and they wanted us to open. This was just after we got signed and were on a big label now. No offense to the other local bands as people they were nice, but their music was basically terrible. It's not me just saying it. That's the response from the audience too. People can be nice but when it comes to the business portion, I'm gonna be honest."

To play devil's advocate, it's not nice to make people listen to bad music, so I don't think they could have been nice people. Crappy openers also have no place sharing the stage with Testament.

"We got direct support for Anthrax, so the other bands did that time, but we still got to open the show and it was cool. We shared the stage with them and got to enjoy the show. It was cool," says Lackner.

Lazarus A.D.'s' name of course evokes the religious figure of Lazarus but the addition of the epic sounding A.D. almost brings to mind rising up out of, and conquering, a wasteland.

"Initially we were just Lazarus but we had to add on the A.D. because of some bullshit," explains Lackner. "A lot of people think it means "After Death" but in Latin it is "Anno Domine", but it has to do with before Christ and after death. It surprisingly fits. Lazarus After Death, because we were Lazarus and now we're Lazarus A.D. We've basically risen up again, and if you tie it into the thrash revival that kind of fits too, though again, we aren't trying to be pigeonholed."

There's one last interpretation Lackner decides to share of the A.D. "It could also stand for alchohol and drugs. When we're not playing we're gonna be chillin' and we're gonna smoke with ya."

Keep a watchful eye as these guys start doing a lot of touring, because this band’s star is rising and they are hungry and ready to rock. This is the new band on the block to root for.