Gio S.
The Fallen Within
The Greek act THE FALLEN WITHIN spoke to METAL TEMPLE just a few days before the release party for its debut full-length album about the past, the present and the future. Enjoy...
By Yiannis Dafopoulos
•
March 14, 2010
Hello guys! Can you give us a short bio of the band for those who don't know you?
THE FALLEN WITHIN is an Athens based band, created in 2003 and the group belongs to the general style of Metal influenced mainly by the American Metalcore and Scandinavian melodic scene, having also experimental, progressive and many other elements. The band made the first effort in November of 2003 when we recorded our first demo CD, which was called "The Conqueror Worm" and included 2 songs. One of them ("Fossilized") had taken part in "Metal Ostentation Vol.8" compilation which had been released by Enclave Records from Portugal. After several lineup changes and other obligations we finally began to record our debut full-length album at Sound Symmetry Studio between September and December 2008 and then we mixed and mastered it at Tico Tico Studio in Finland in January 2009! Some important collaboration which has to be mentioned has to do with Bob Katsionis from FIREWIND on production and recordings and of course with Ahti Kortelainen who was responsible for the mix and mastering of the album. In March 2009 the band signed a deal with Marjo Verdooren for Metal Revelation in order to have a professional management and worldwide band-promotion. After this we received several offers from labels but finally we ended in July 2009 to the Italian Coroner Records.
Who and why chose the name FALLEN WITHIN? What does this name represent for you?
Well, the fact is that I am the person who created THE FALLEN WITHIN back in 2003, so I' am responsible for the name. THE FALLEN WITHIN has to do with a person who has fallen deep inside his feelings, deep inside his thoughts and tries to keep these sentiments for him. A person who walks alone in life and considering day after day finding out his self knowledge. It's a man who fell to the bottom and then reborn from ashes again and succeed everything.
I once saw you performing live at a Burning Star Festival. Listening to your new album I realized that you are now a totally different band. What changed in your music since then?
Of course! THE FALLEN WITHIN is more mature now, more powerful and is trying to combine several styles of Metal and not only the Scandinavian melodic one. We focused in our sound and production, that's why we traveled to Finland to mix and master the album in order to create a more competitive product and being as modern as possible. I think that's the main reason which made some labels get interested on us!
If I am not mistaken this is the second time you changed your line up. Can you say that the band is now solid?
Correct. You know band changes and departures are not something nice for every band and of course we don't want to change band mates but sometimes life decides differently. Anyway at the moment we are a good team of six friends first of all who have the same ambitions same targets and we want to work professionally in every section.
Your debut album was recently released through the Italian label Coroner Records. Did you send them your material or was it them who approached you first? Are you satisfied with their work until now?
The funniest thing is that we didn't even know the label but we impressed by the way they contacted us. We received a message on MySpace page and when I read the text I said just WOW! It was very flattering for the band to receive a message from Ettore Rigotti the guitarist of DISARMONIA MUNDI and one of the owners of Coroner Records. We had several offers from labels, but we talked a lot with our manager and then it was easy for us to end to Coroner Records and of course now we feel very proud because they work very professionally for a new label and in my point of view after 2-3 years you will see some well known bands there!
Who designed the cover artwork and how does it relate to the album's title?
The artwork is totally designed by a very good friend of mine Cosmas 'Cosmic Resurrection'. He is a very talented designer and also an amazing musician. He understood from the beginning what exactly we wanted and the result was many levels better that this one we expected. We would like to make something different by using colors and offer a special concept on it. Well, on this cover you can see an everyday man who is trying to reach an idol in the mirror that represents him according to how society force us sometimes to be something different than what we really are in order to be more acceptable, in order to be successful. It has to do with ideals that media and society are trying to serve to us and not these ones which make us really happy and are part of ourselves.
Is there a concept behind the lyrics of "Intoxicated"?
Despite the fact that I'm not the one who wrote lyrics but Steve did, I have to say that "Intoxicated" album is a concept album from one side. Well, generally lyrics have to do with human being, various feelings, the way of our mind sometimes is thinking and the situations we often have to face like self destruction etc. It's something like an inner fall to the bottom before the rising!
Which are your influences as a band? I have noticed that you try to mix melancholy with aggression in your music...
Well, first of all I have to say that in music have been composed everything so we are trying to mix different styles in order to have a modern sound, with many melodies and aggressive riffs. Lyrics are very sensitive and that maybe worked to present songs with melancholy and atmospheric elements too. Our favorite bands are coming of course from Scandinavia like SOILWORK, IN FLAMES, ARCH ENEMY and from U.S.A. like AS I LAY DYING, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, AUGUST BURNS RED, PARKWAY DRIVE, NEVERMORE and many more!
You are organizing a live show where you will present your new album. What are you thinking of doing after that? Have scheduled any other live shows for the promotion of "Intoxicated"?
Yes of course we are planning to do present live in a Christmas party our debut release in Athens at Sin City Club and we hope everything to be great! After this show we are planning a tour in several Greek cities like Thessaloniki, Ioannina, Patra, Hania, Volos and Larisa in March and we also hope to manage some gigs and maybe another tour in Europe. But that demands a lot of work! We hope finally to make it!
What do you think FALLEN WITHIN have to offer to Metal nowadays? What makes you differ from the rest of the Metal bands out there?
THE FALLEN WITHIN first of all is a serious and professionally working band that wants to offer some kind of fresh and modern Metal. We are a good team of six guys who love music, gigs and always want to get improved! I think the point is that we want to present music which combines several styles, as we said before, based on the extreme Metal genre.
Thank you for this interview. Anything last you would like to add?
We want to thank each one of ours friends for their flattering comments about our work until now and we hope to meet them in our gigs in future! Thank you for this nice interview!
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