Metal Anarchy

As I Lay Dying’s return is still a topic of controversy considering Tim Lambesis was released from prison in December 2016 after infamously trying to hire a hitman to kill his former wife in 2013, but some have chosen to forgive the frontman. One of those people is August Burns Red’s Jake Luhrs, who recently told Full Metal Jackie that he thinks “As I Lay Dying’s story is a really beautiful one of redemption and forgiveness.”

Luhrs said the following [transcribed by Loudwire]:

“First of all [my] HeartSupport [organization] is all about acceptance, and encouraging and forgiving. Our slogan is: ‘It doesn’t matter the color of your skin, what you believe in, who you are in love with, what’s been done to you, or what you have done, we accept you and want to help you where you are.’

I think that AILD’s story is a really beautiful one of redemption and forgiveness. It’s one that I don’t think a lot of people may think that forgiveness goes that far, or redemption is able at that point or forgiveness that we can really do that.

I really want to showcase and support them and give them a place to share that story and the truth about that and their process of forgiving each other and all of that, and kind of remind or see that we need to love each other.

We need to practice forgiveness and lean to second chances because it doesn’t matter really. You can take that story, their story, apply that to your own life and in some degree, you will need acceptance for forgiveness; you’re going to have to do that with other people. We’re human. And if we choose love we can conquer a lot of evil and a lot of hurt and pain.”

It’s worth noting that Luhrs previously guested on a new As I Lay Dying song titled “Redefined” and that HeartSupport has released a documentary on the band called “Misery Evolving – The Story Of Tim Lambesis & As I Lay Dying.”