At New England Metal and Hardcore Festival last month, MetalSucks' Vince Neilstein caught up with GOD FORBID guitarist Doc Coyle. Doc told us what led to Dallas' split from the band, how things with his replacement Kris Norris (of DARKEST HOUR) are going, the band's current and future touring plans, critical response to Earthsblood, and breaking into the European market. Excerpts from the chat follow:

MetalSucks: So what happened with Dallas?

Doc Coyle: "Long story short, we got into a really ridiculous, stupid argument over something really stupid and ridiculous and he quit. It's really that simple. He did this on the day we were supposed to leave."

MetalSucks: Do you think it's the kind of thing where you might kiss and make up? I mean you guys are brothers.

Doc Coyle: "I don't know. I think the way in which it happened, it would be very difficult for it to go back to the way it was. In a sense, maybe it was meant to be. I don't know. I really don't want to talk about it with any sort of definitiveness right now. It's difficult for me. I don't want to say anything bad about Dallas, but it's an upsetting situation either way you look at it. There's an emotional bulk anyway. It's not the time or place to air dirty laundry."

MetalSucks: I totally understand. So you guys have Kris Norris with you. How is that working out?

Doc Coyle: "It's great. He's a fantastic guitar player. He's a genius guitar player, really. The guy is insane."

MetalSucks: Yeah, he's a shredder.

Doc Coyle: "He learned five songs in two days. In a couple of days it started getting tight. Now we're in a really nice groove. The tour is incredible. Right now things are really good."

MetalSucks: Do you feel like people are getting there [the LAMB OF GOD tour] early to see God Forbid or do you feel like you're winning over people that happen to get there early?

Doc Coyle: "I think people are getting there early to see everybody. It's an event show. People are getting there, especially young kids who aren't getting off of work; they're getting there as soon as they can. They're running in the door. They're there at noon waiting. There's also the older people who get there and tailgate. It's that type of show. It's the type of show people take the day off of work for. I feel extremely privileged. Lamb of God is a band that we're very close with personally. So it's come full circle. We haven't toured with them in awhile, and the fact that they went out of their way to put us on this tour is incredible. It's a very comfortable tour. We're very close with Lamb of God. We're very close with BODOM. Never toured with As I Lay Dying before, but I was friends with them from shows and whatever. It's almost as if I toured with them before. Then Municipal Waste, the drummer is from Jersey and we kind of came up through the Jersey scene together. Usually when you do a "big" tour, you expect all this other kind of shit, like rock star shit. There is none of that on this tour; it's all of the positive aspects of doing a big tour without any of the down sides."

MetalSucks: From your perception, what's the feedback that you've gotten on Earthsblood so far? Do you feel that people are digging it?

Doc Coyle: "I feel that people are really digging it. It's very hard to gauge. I think we all live in an internet bubble, and we think that that's the real perception when it's not always the way it is. If that's the way it was, then bands like DISTURBED and GODSMACK wouldn't sell a million records. There are a lot of people out there who don't give a shit about the internet. That's not how they find out about music. They still buy CDs. They go with their gut, and they're not trendy. That's most of America in the Middle and down South. A lot of Europe is like that too. Sometimes we forget that because [we think] New York is the world. We're kind of like in this funnel air of industry elitism. You know how it is. We all get together and debate over records and shit."

To read the full interview click here.