http://www.myspace.com/beforethefallorg
http://www.beforethefall.org
First off i would like to personally thank Mike and Rude from Before The Fall for taking the time out to do this interview with Worldwidetakeoverzine
How did the band come to be named Before The Fall
Mike: Hello and thanks! Well, Before the Fall was founded in 2005 by
Rude and me in Vienna /Austria. The Line up is following:
Mike – Vocals, Guitar
Rude - Guitar
Bane – Guitar
Hannes – Bass
Many things stand before the fall. Religions, governments, societies etc.
It shows the instability in the world.
Rude: But it´s also a synonym for the adrenaline kick such as you stand on a high rise before the fall.
who are some of the bands main musical influences
Rude: Pantera, Sepultura, Machine Head, Carcass, Hypocrisy, Fear Factory, Metallica Slayer, Opeth, Meshuggah.
But we also like the new stuff such as Unearth, Hatesphere, As I lay dying etc.
are any members in side projects other than BTF
Rude: No, at the moment all members are totally concentrated on BTF. I think for a new band it`s very important that the whole band is focused on one common goal.
how long has the band been together
Mike: 3 years for now.
how many cds eps 7 inches split cds and demos has the band currently released
Rude: We`ve recorded some tracks before our album “From Mutism to Riddance” was released but it wasn`t an official demo or something like that. The track “Some Bleeding More” for example was recorded in march 2005.
what do you base your lyrics on when writing new material
Mike: The Lyrics are basically about socially critical stuff as well as private things which makes me pissed off. They´re critical but I don´t want to take any politically stand. Writing songs and lyrics is the only and perfect valve where I can relieve my aggressions in a useful way.
is there a large and thriving scene in the Vienna area as well as throughout Austria
Rude: We got a very aspiring Metalscene here in Austria. There are many good bands like The Sorrow, Belphegor, In Slumber, Perishing Mankind, Pandora`s Dawn etc.
But I can´t believe that you never heard about Pungent Stench. In the 90´s they were one of the biggest Death Metal Bands in the world!
is this the original lineup and if not what is the current lineup
Mike: At the moment we´re looking for a new drummer, because Phillip left the band after the tour with Gorefest to do his exam. But we already have some candidates to choose the best one for us.
if you could have anyone do guest vocals on your next recording who would it be and why
Rude: Hehe, that`s a good question. Of course someone of our idols like Phil Anselmo or Max Cavalera but Peter Tägtgren for example would be cool too. Any famous singer or producer can help a new band to stand out of the crowd.
does the band have any plans to tour the USA in either 2009 or 2010
Rude: It`s a big dream to do that some day and I hope we will rock the states at least with our third album. But nowadays we don`t have any offers.
in only one sentence describe your sound to someone who has never heard you before
Mike: On our album are brutal thrash riffs and break-downs as well as melodies and smoother passages from time to time.
when the band is on tour in the van what is usually playing in the cd player
Rude: Mostly of course metal, old stuff like Sepultura, Metallica, Amorphis etc. and also new stuff like As I Lay Dying, Hatesphere, Divine Heresy etc. but also rock-music from AC/DC or Mötley Crüe.
Mike: Yes, and sometimes stuff from the 80`s like Samantha Fox or Nick Camen.
how were you first exposed to the scene and what made you say i want to be in an band
Rude: I already played in a band 15 years ago. It was a death metal band called Doped Nomad. But when we left the school we split the band and I made music for myself in my home-studio. But I always knew that I want to be in a band again and to be onstage. Mike and me, we knew each other a long time because we had the same girlfriend, so we were not the best friends from the beginning.
Mike: Hehe, that`s true, we shared a girl. At that time I also recorded some stuff for my own. But some time the girl wasn`t a theme anymore and we exchanged our music. And let me tell you, from the beginning it was clear to write music together and create a band.
what are your views on fighting at shows
Rude: I don`t like fights on shows. Sometime it`s cool to build a circle pit or a so called “wall of death”, but not in an aggressive way. So let`s bang our heads and enjoy the music.
what are some of the best brewed beers in Austria that you would recommend
Rude: Let me tell you, austria has the best beers in the world. There are some blends like “Wieselburger”, “Stiegl”, “Ottakringer” or “Murauer.
when on tour and driving from city to city what is some of the weirdest shit you have seen happen or pass by
Rude: There happened nothing special. We had a cool tour, only sleeping four weeks in the van was really hard.
where do you see the band in 3 years from now
Mike: I hope our second album will get the support of a big label like “Metal Blade” for example. Touring of course is very important to catch the crowd. Let`s see what will happen.
Rude: I think if we continue working hard we will be there where we want to be, but it takes time. We already get the support of our manager Werner Stockinger, a well known person in the scene. With his help we hope to make the “break though”.
How can the readers from around the world contact you about ordering merchandise
Mike: At the moment we don`t have a distribution for our merchandise. Only our current CD “From Mutism to Riddance” is available via “Twilight Zone Records”. You can order it on www.twilight-mailorder.de.
who are some of the up and coming bands from the Vienna area as well as throughout Austria
Rude: Of course “The Sorrow”, the most famous band from austria at the moment, but there are some cool bands like “In Slumber”, “Pandora`s Dawn”, “Perishing Mankind” or “Gasmac Gilmore”.
the term hardcore has become so overused that any band putting a breakdown into a song is considered hardcore but explain to the readers what hardcore means to you
Mike: That`s such a wasted subject, always the same babbling. What is Hardcore, what is Metalcore? Like you said. It seems to me that every newcoming band is called metalcore by media if they don`t sound like a 80`s True Metalband. But what the fuck? If you like what you hear it`s ok, if not, also. This is no question of being original or renewing for me. Original is everyone who is honest to his own.
Rude: People want to hear good music and most bands play modern metal with a mixture of different styles. For example, on tour I also saw a circle-pit when Gorefest was performing. Originality is a wide description. I think it always depends on the mixture of riffs and melodies and not on one break-down. So it`s always the complete song and not one riff or one melody. And we definitely aren`t a hardcore band.
What is your most memorable show and why
Rude: There were some really impressive shows during our career. During our tour with “Gorefest” for example was a festival in Salzburg – this show was awesome. A sold-out show and we had the best crowd on this evening. In february we played with “Heaven Shall Burn” in vienna. The pit was awesome too. For me it always depends on the response from the crowd.
what is your favorite city and coutnry to play shows in and also your least favorite and why
Mike: We like to play everywhere. If the crowd is satisfied with our show and music it was a good show.
Who are some of the bands that you enjoy touring with
Rude: My dream would be to go on tour with Max Cavalera, you know Soulfly and Cavalera Conspiracy, or Peter Tägtgren from Hypocrisy and Pain. Both are idols of mine and I think I can learn a lot from them.
What advice can you give to some of the newer bands starting out that maybe having a tough time and thinking about giving up
Rude: Music is a hard business but if you like to play music then play it loud and hard.. And if you don`t get the response you want, then play it louder and harder, hehe. So believe in your own and metal up your ass.
Mike: Well, we all got “normal” Jobs such as waiter, media designer, office employer etc. At the moment we can´t live only by playing music. But it´s definitely our goal. We live for the music and there´s no other possibility to realize our dream!
where else besides myspace can the readers go to to findout about upcoming shows and other band related information
Mike: On our website www.beforethefall.org you`ll get all informations you need.
where do you think you would be right now had you not been exposed to the hxc metal scene
Rude: We know for now we are “only” a underground band but we only released one album. Be patient and expect a second album which will kick everybody`s fuckin`ass, hehe.
what is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to the band when playing a set
Mike: Once a girl jumped on the stage and wanted to take off my clothes. We had to interrupt the show for 5 minutes until we could continue our set.
Rude: The same happened to me, but it was a guy…
what is the worst injury that any of the band has had happen when playing show
Rude: The worst injury that could happen is when there`s no beer on stage. It makes me nervous, hehe. No, you have to be well prepared before every show, if that`s done you only can wait for something you can`t be influenced.
Do you have any upcoming shows that you would like to tell the readers about
Rude: Well, we play some fetivals in austria this summer and one in hungary I think. A really cool festival is in june – Summer-Nights feastival with Obituary, Volbeat, Maroon,…An awesome festival we already played last year.
Is there anything else that you would like to add that i may have forgotten to ask that the readers should know about
Mike & Rude: We`re still not there where we want to be and know there`s much work for us. Our goals for the future are for sure many concerts and festivals but also a great new album which will achieve many metal-fans. We would like to
thank everyone who supports us! A big cheers to our friends out there. Be prepared for the future – thx for the interview!!!
