Marc Rizzo

BIOGRAPHY – Mark Morton

Mark Morton is best known as the lead guitarist for groove metal band Lamb of God.

Mark Duane Konnaris Morton was born in 1972 and grew up in Williamsburg Virginia. He learned the guitar as a teenager and played rhythm in a local band called Axis when he was sixteen.

He attended Virginia Commonwealth University where he met Chris Adler a drummer and bass player John Campbell, forming the band Burn the Priest in 1994. However, Mark Morton left the band shortly after to study for his Masters degree. He rejoined Burn the Priest a few years later in 1997, during which time the line-up of the band had changed and they had recorded a demo. 

The band recorded their first album in 1999 titled “Burn the Priest “and signed a record deal with heavy metal label Prosthetic. The name was changed to Lamb of God after the band was banned from certain venues because the name was felt to be evil.

Since then, Lamb of God has gone on to become one of the biggest metal acts releasing six albums in total. They signed to more mainstream label Epic in 2004 and later a signed a deal with heavy metal specialists Roadrunner records for international distribution.

Lamb of God have performed worldwide playing at many of the major music festivals and have a large European and Australian fan base.

Mark Morton plays most of the lead solos for the band and has a deep understanding of scales. He also composes most of the Lamb of God guitar music and is a dominant factor behind the heavy groove rhythms. As well as technical ability, he brings a blues style to his guitar playing and the partnership between him and rhythm guitarist Willie Adler is a major part of the Lamb of God sound.

Mark Morton writes some of the songs for the band including “Remorse Is for the Dead” and “Redneck”.

Mark Morton has a signature Jackson guitar named the Jackson Mark Morton Dominion.