Nach mehr als sieben Jahren Pause melden sich Blessthefall mit ihrem neuen Album „Gallows“ zurück. Die Metalcore-Veteranen aus Phoenix zeigen darauf, dass sie auch nach fast zwei Jahrzehnten Bandgeschichte nichts von ihrer Energie verloren haben. Im Interview mit uns dem Frontstage Magazine spricht Sänger Beau Bokan über den Entstehungsprozess der Platte, den Einfluss früherer Werke wie „Hollow Bodies“, die Veränderungen in der Szene und warum „Gallows“ für die Band sowohl Neuanfang als auch Fortsetzung ist
Frontstage Magazine: After more than seven years without a new record, what does “Gallows” mean to you personally – is it more of a fresh start or a natural continuation of your journey?
Beau: It really feel like both a fresh start and a return to a familiar place. It’s a very interesting and exciting place to be in. The state of the music scene was a bit different the last time we put an album out.
Frontstage Magazine:Many fans still see “Hollow Bodies” as your strongest release. What parallels or differences do you recognize between that album and “Gallows”?
Beau: I think the aggressiveness of this record can be compared to Hollow Bodies. We love that album so much and we understand it was career defining.
Frontstage Magazine: You mentioned that you only wrote when you truly felt inspired. How did this approach shape the final outcome of the record?
Beau: I think having that freedom of no expectations, no deadlines and nothing to prove really helped us write the best album possible. We were free to come and go to the studio as we pleased. It was very liberating as an artist to create in that sort of environment.
Frontstage Magazine: Looking back at “Hard Feelings” and “To Those Left Behind”, what lessons did you take from those records that helped you with “Gallows”?
Beau: I think there were times we were overthinking. I feel like we learned to write organically and let the inspiration flow out of us. It’s a beautiful thing to be in that flow state of writing whether it’s guitar riffs, vocals melodies, lyrics etc.
Frontstage Magazine: The metalcore scene has changed a lot in recent years. What role do you want “Gallows” to play in today’s genre landscape?
Beau: I’m hoping this is a blueprint for younger metal bands who are just getting into the scene and I’m hoping they can be inspired knowing that you can be a band for almost 20 years and still have so much fun writing music that is true to you.
Frontstage Magazine: How important is it for you that both longtime fans and first-time listeners find something that resonates with them on “Gallows”? Did you consciously think about that balance while writing?
Beau: We definitely had the fans in mind when writing this album as we always do. Maybe more so with this record as it’s been so long since they’ve heard anything new from us. We know how much it means when you’re a fan of a band and they write songs that have the same sound as when you fell in love with them.
Fotocredit: Rise Records
