Mark Morton

Guitarist Mark Morton of Richmond, Virginia metallers LAMB OF GOD is sitting out at least the first few shows of the band's current European headlining tour due to a "family emergency." Filling in for him is Paul Waggoner of BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME. Fan-filmed video footage of the first show of the European tour, which took place last night (Monday, January 6) in Vienna, Austria, can be seen below. Prior to performing the song "Walk With Me In Hell" at the Vienna concert, LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe explained Morton's absence, telling the crowd, "You may have noticed Mr. Mark Morton is not here with us tonight. He had a family emergency, so he had to stay home. It's family first for this band. We apologize, but he had to be with his family. Luckly, we have a very big music family, so we've got our friend Paul Waggoner from BETWEEN THE BURIED IN ME [playing with us tonight]." LAMB OF GOD recently entered into a worldwide distribution deal with Specticast (LED ZEPPELIN's "Celebration Day", Paul McCartney's "Rock Show") for their Don Argott-directed ("Last Days Here", "Art Of The Steal", "School Of Rock") feature film "As The Palaces Burn". Filming for the movie began in 2012 and concluded in March of 2013. "As The Palaces Burn", which should not be confused with the making-of documentary packaged with the recent re-release of the 2003 LAMB OF GOD album of the same name, was conceived to be a documentary focused on the power of music and its impact on cultures around the world and its ability to bring together people of all nationalities regardless of religious or political differences. After a worldwide casting call, filming took place in Colombia, Venezuela, Israel, India, and the United States. As filming reached its conclusion, the documentary was forced to take a major turn when the band's lead singer, Randy Blythe, was arrested in the Czech Republic and charged with the murder of a fan in June 2012. Granted unique access to Blythe's saga, Argott's filming covered Blythe's 38-day imprisonment in Prague, his release and the band's return to live performances, and finally Blythe's trial for murder in Prague in February 2013.