Austrian Death Machine

Biography

Austrian Death Machine is an American death metal side project from San Diego, California, founded by As I Lay Dying vocalist Tim Lambesis to be a parody of and tribute to Arnold Schwarzenegger's films.

History

Austrian Death Machine released their first album Total Brutal×Total Brutal22 July 2008 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks1Hello California1:252Get to the Choppa2:473Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers2:234All of the Songs Sound the Same0:135I Am a Cybernetic Organism, Living Tissue Over (Metal) Endoskeleton3:346Come With Me If You Want to Live3:487What It's Like to Be a Singer at Band Practice1:188Who Is Your Daddy, and What Does He Do?3:119You Have Just Been Erased2:2210Broo-Tall Song Idea0:3911Here Is Subzero, Now Plain Zero3:0912So Far, So Good, So Let's Talk About It0:4213Screw You (Benny)2:5014Why?0:2515If It Bleeds, We Can Kill It3:4316It's Not a Tumor3:1617Not So Hidden Track2:49 on July 22, 2008. The album was dedicated to Caleb Crain on May 14, 2008, for his birthday that was two months before the scheduled release date. A few months later they released a Christmas-themed EP, A Very Brutal Christmas×A Very Brutal Christmas24 November 2008 · EPSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 3 tracks1Jingle Bells3:022Get to the Choppa2:473Hell Bent for Leather2:58. After some tour support of Total Brutal, Lambesis went back on tour with As I Lay Dying. While on tour he posted on Austrian Death Machine's MySpace blog that he had ideas to follow up Total Brutal with a double-disc, Double Brutal, stating that the first disc would be original songs where the second disc would be composed of cover songs. After returning home from tour in early Summer 2009, he went to work on Double Brutal which was released September 29, 2009.
Many in the press have pointed out that a Schwarzenegger movie-themed band concept was already being pursued by ArnoCorps, having been performing live in California and the UK beginning more than seven years prior to Lambesis' effort. Lambesis writes and records all the music playing guitar, bass, and drums as well as the majority of the vocals, leaving Destroy the Runner vocalist Chad Ackerman (portraying "Ahhhnold") to perform Schwarzenegger-like vocals. The only thing Lambesis or Ackerman do not record are the guitar solos in every song which are performed by various guitarists from other bands. Lambesis stated where As I Lay Dying "is heartfelt and full of passion" Austrian Death Machine on the other hand "is an outlet of pure testosterone and stupidity."
Despite Lambesis' May 2013 arrest for attempting to hire a hitman to murder his estranged wife, it was announced in 2014, that Triple Brutal would be released in April on Artery Recordings. In 2014, Lambesis was sentenced to six years in prison, with 48 days credit for time served.
On October 17, 2023, the band released a new single, "No Pain No Gain×No Pain No Gain17 October 2023 · SingleSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 1 track1No Pain No Gain4:06", with a music video and announced their plan to release a new album in 2024. On December 5, it was revealed the band's fourth album, Quad Brutal×Quad Brutal23 February 2024 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1No Pain No Gain4:052Conquer3:083Hey Bro Can You Spot Me?3:494Judgment Day4:075Everybody Pities the Weak2:576Don’t Be Lazy3:537Get Down3:308Destroy the Machines3:069Meatgrinder2:3110I Never Quit3:13, would be released on February 23, 2024; the second single from the album, "Don't Be Lazy", was also released.

Members

Main

Tim Lambesis – lead vocals, guitar, bass, drums (2008–present)
Chad Ackerman – Schwarzenegger impersonation vocals (2008–2014)
Josh Robert Thompson – Schwarzenegger impersonation vocals on Double Brutal (2009)
Timothy Benham – Schwarzenegger impersonation vocals on Double Brutal (2009)
Joe Gaudet – Schwarzenegger impersonation vocals on Triple Brutal (2014)
Live lineup

Tim Lambesis – lead vocals (2008–present)
Justin Olszewski – Schwarzenegger impersonation vocals (2009–2014)
Emil Werstler (of Dååth) – guitar
Josh Gilbert (of As I Lay Dying, Wovenwar) – bass (2009–2014)
Jon "The Charn" Rice (of Job for a Cowboy) – drums (2009–2014)
Former live

JP Gericke (of Death by Stereo) – guitar
Mark MacDonald (of Mercury Switch) – guitar
Session guitar soloists

Jason Suecof of Capharnaum (All releases)
Mark MacDonald of Mercury Switch (All releases)
Dan Fitzgerald (on Total Brutal)
Adam Dutkiewicz of Killswitch Engage (on Total Brutal)
Nick Hipa of As I Lay Dying (on Total Brutal)
Eyal Levi and Emil Werstler of Dååth (on Total Brutal)
Jason Barnes formerly of Haste the Day (on Total Brutal)
Andrew Tapley formerly of The Human Abstract (on Double Brutal)
Rusty Cooley of Outworld (on Double Brutal)
Chris Storey formerly of All Shall Perish (on Double & Triple Brutal)
Buz McGrath of Unearth (on Double Brutal)
Kris Norris formerly of Darkest Hour (on Double Brutal)
James "JP" Gericke of Death By Stereo (all releases)
Rocky Gray of Living Sacrifice (on Double Brutal)
Kevin Schwartz formerly of Pathology (on Triple Brutal)
Wes Hauch formerly of The Faceless (on Triple Brutal)
Dan Palmer (on Triple Brutal)
Doc Coyle of God Forbid (on Triple Brutal)
Sean Swafford (on Triple Brutal)
Lorenzo Antonucci formerly of Sworn Enemy (on Triple Brutal)
Session drummers and percussionists

Brandon "B-Town" Trahan of Impending Doom
Mike Catalano formerly of Destroy the Runner
Jerad Buckwalter formerly of Sworn Enemy
Jeff Gretz of Zao
Christian Bass of Heaven Shall Burn