Blessthefall’s story begins just over three years ago when guitarist Mike Frisby and drummer Matt Traynor began piecing the puzzle together in Phoenix, Arizona.  The young group of Christian-oriented screamers, rounded out by Eric Lambert on guitar, who is also sharing vocal duties with singer pro-temp Jared Warth who is normally the band’s full-time bassist.  The band was forced to restructure in December following the departure of fulltime screamer Craig Mabbit, who decided to move on in the midst of a European tour. 

 

It never slowed the band down, however, and they continue to find the perfect fit for a vocalist.  The band signed to Science Records in 2006 and released their current album His Last Walk in April of 2007.  Blessthefall has made a name for themselves by selling out multiple local venues in Arizona and garnering a fanbase that thrives on the band’s energetic live shows.  We caught up with the band during their Milwaukee stop on the Taste of Chaos Tour.  Lambert did mention that fans can expect Blessthefall to begin work on their new record following their appearance at Bamboozle in early May.

 

Popular Underground Magazine: So it’s really early on in the Taste of Chaos Tour.  How has it been so far?

 

Eric Lambert:  This is only the third day.  It’s been really good so far.

 

PUM: What are you trying to achieve on the Taste of Chaos Tour?

 

Lambert: I think the main goal is to get a bigger fanbase.  We had a couple offers other than this tour that probably would have fit us better, but our goal was to get a new crowd.  All of the other tours we would have did; it would have been the same kids coming out anyway so this has completely different people.  It’s kind of more of an older crowd, more metalheads for Bullet [For My Valentine] and Atreyu.  We played a Bullet show in Baltimore and it went over really well and the fans really liked us a lot.  Taste of Chaos, which is thousands of kids every night, is a good way to expand our fanbase to as many new fans as possible.

 

PUM: I read on your Myspace page that you were looking for a vocalist.

 

Lambert: Yeah, we don’t have a singer right now.  We had to cover our lineup.  I’m doing guitar and singing and we got our good friend Aiden [from Dear Whoever] who is filling in on bass and Jared is up front.

 

PUM: Is it pretty tough to rearrange things like that, especially on a tour like Taste of Chaos?

 

Lambert: It was tough at first because we did it in Europe for a while and it was weird getting used to, but we’re comfortable with it now.  We’re used to having Jared up front and everything.

 

PUM: How has the response from the fans been?

 

Lambert: Actually, fans have been pretty cool.  We’ve got a lot of good response.  I haven’t really heard any bad feedback from anyone.  Kids are cool with it and they think it’s rad.  I think we all want to find another frontman.  Jared could go back to bass and I could go back to guitar.

 

PUM: What would you be looking for in your ideal candidate for a frontman?

 

Lambert: He’s got to be a good dude, you know, he’s got to be a brother with us.  It doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s a lot to get there.

 

PUM: Tell me a little bit about Blessthefall, as far as what you’re trying to achieve?

 

Lambert: I think it comes with our name.  Like Blessthefall is kind of like the fall of man.   We try to help people.  We like seeing kids smile and kids come up to us and say that the music helped them through so much.  It makes us so stoked to see that and that we can even help them remotely in an emotional manner.  Or even kids that listen to it and start to play guitar or pick up an instrument and start their own band.  I think that’s the most rewarding thing.

 

PUM: How long have you been together?

 

Lambert: We’ve been together two and a half years.  I’m the newest member and I think they were together for a half a year.

 

PUM: I noticed on your Myspace that you guys have a ton of hits and a lot of friends.

 

Lambert: Yeah, Myspace has been huge for getting music out in this generation.  We probably couldn’t have done it without a website to get it out there.  It makes it a lot easier than [handing] out Eight-Tracks out of your trunk.

 

PUM: Do you check your own Myspace?

 

Lambert: Yeah, Matt checks it and we reply as much as we can and Matt always puts up blogs that keep the fans updated on what we’re doing.  We actually bought a video camera and now we can do video blogs.

 

PUM: Do you find it challenging in today’s musical world where bands sound so similar to overcome the cookie-cutter aspect of the business?

 

Lambert: There’s a lot of bands now, I mean even when we started, the screaming thing was kind of popular and even now it’s insane how much it has grown.  Everyone thought the screaming was going to fade out.  Every record we’ve got to step it up and I think when you see our live show, [it] puts it all on the table.  We try to make it as energetic as possible.  We’re always trying to add new little tricks in there to entertain fans.  Now-a-days it’s the entertainment that is going to make kids want to come back to your shows.

 

PUM: Would you say that’s the best asset to Blessthefall?

 

Lambert: Yeah.  On CD you record everything and I think that’s rad, but I think playing it live is where you put your heart and soul into it.

 

PUM: What are you guys currently working on?

 

Lambert: Right now we are working on a new CD, which we are going to record with Steve Evetts in the summer and we have about six songs done that we are completely stoked on (all instrumentally done).  It’s still the same Blessthefall.  It’s way more mature and progressed.

 

PUM: Tell me about the writing process both lyrically and musically?

 

Lambert: Usually how it comes about is, every now and then we’ll write the song all together, but it’s usually the lead guitarist [Michael Frisby] and I will lock ourselves in a room and we just write all the parts and we get a huge image in our head of what we want it to sound like and we bring it back to the guys and then we usually start with drums, bring the bass and then the vocals.  We have a lot of Christian-based lyrics and a lot of what we’ve been through.  Most of it is based on God and Christianity.

 

PUM: Do you find it hard to get people to listen to you with an open mind with a Christian foundation?

 

Lambert: We’ve never gotten any satanic people saying, “We hate God,” or anything like that.  I’ve seen it happen on Warped Tour to Underoath [where] there would be signs held up, but we’ve never gotten crap for it.

 

PUM: I know a very conservative Christian who would say, “How can you glorify God through metal?”  How would you answer that?

 

Lambert: I don’t think the type of music really matters.  I think it’s just how [you] take on anything.  Whether it’s metal or soft rock, it’s what your soul is.  God made everyone to be themselves and if it’s for us to make [this kind] of music that’s just how we deliver it.  In the end it all has the same meaning.  I don’t think the kind of music identifies who you are as a Christian.

 

PUM: I think it’s great that you’re able to perform this type of music and have a Christian foundation and make it public.

 

Lambert: Well, we definitely don’t push it on anyone.  It’s not like we have Christian only fans.  We don’t preach or push it on kids.  We don’t want to make them feel uncomfortable. 

 

PUM: Have you ever talked to kids who really had no idea about what it is to be a Christian?

 

Lambert: I’ve gotten a call or two and a lot of E-mails from kids coming to shows saying they want to find Jesus in their lives and a couple times I’ve sat down and talked to the kids and prayed and shown kids that there’s a lot more out there.

By: Adam K. Zakroczymski III - Senior Editor / Founder

For a bunch more pictures of Blessthefall on Taste of Chaos, Click here