Chad Bowar: What has the response been so far to Embrace The Fall?
Tim Moe: Well the CD was just released here last week so we haven't gotten to hear the response from the fans that actually bought the album so far, but the reviews are coming back good and we are real happy with it. I think that after we hit the road and get some shows in markets we haven't played yet we will see a good response from the fans.
What are your expectations for the album?
We hope it does well and that it kind of gives us the shot in the arm and push we need to get this band rolling. I would hope it would sell good enough for us to go back and record another album. I think the lineup we have now is more than capable of churning out some real good metal and we would like to be around for a while.
How did the band's sound evolve from Fear In A Handful Of Dust to Embrace The Fall?
We took a different approach on the new album. For Fear In A Handful Of Dust it was like, let’s just slay everybody and leave them hurting. With Embrace the Fall we wanted the listeners to walk away with the songs stuck in their heads. That’s not to say that we lightened the load and changed direction, because it still is very much Hurtlocker, but we have grown as musicians and I think you can hear that on this record.
How did you decide on Chris Djuricic as your producer?
Chris is a very good friend of ours who we have worked with on every demo we did, so we had a solid relationship already. He knows what we are looking for and he knows how to get the sound that we want. I think working with Chris was just what we needed because we have a few guys that don't have much recording experience, and having a producer that we could joke around with and have fun made things easier on everyone. Not to mention the guy is great at what he does, and a real fast worker. There is no wasted time.
Chris also played bass on the album. Have you found a permanent bass player?
Yes he did a great job, and like I said he did it fast. I left him the tab for the songs and he knocked the bass out in less than a week. We have found a bassist, his name is Sean Fagen. He will be out on the road with us this fall and he is awesome. This guy came in and learned the songs in less than a month, tight enough to take them on the stage.
What inspired the album title?
That’s mostly Grant’s (vocalist Belcher) doing, he came up with the title for the song first and we liked it so much we wanted to use it as the album title. It is a great concept for a metal album with all the crap going on in the world today to just embrace the fall. This song is the last tune we play in the set and it rips live, just destroys the people watching.
What are your tour plans?
Right now we are booked to do a stretch of dates with Thine Eyes Bleed in November, mostly west coast California and Texas before working our way back up here and ending in New York. We are looking forward to hitting the road. We never got the chance to tour the U.S. on the first album and we need to get out there and get our name heard. After that would be great to jump on another tour but we don't have anything locked down right now.
Do you plan on doing more touring for this album than your debut?
I hope so, we would love to hit the road and bust some ass, but that isn't really up to us. We are all in a position where it has to make sense, and that’s the hardest part. I think that if the album starts selling tours will keep coming, but for now we are more focused on what we have in front of us.
Who have you had the best time touring with so far?
When we were over in Europe we had a blast with Grave, they were just great guys to tour with. They would drink so much every night and still be able to perform, it was something to behold. The other bands were cool as well: our label mates in Vesania, Dew Scented, Cryptopsy and Aborted. We had too many good night on that tour and would love to do it again.
What are your van essentials for a tour?
I don't need too much, I have an iPod and a PSP and those are two things I can't leave without. It is nice to have a portable DVD player, or even a laptop, but I don't have either of those things.
You were the first American band signed by Napalm Records. Were you satisfied with the promotional efforts and distribution?
We have never had a problem with Napalm’s promotional efforts, we got in all the big mags and did so much press for the first album. Not that we haven't done a ton for this one but we were all over the place for the first release. I think the distro could be a little bit better, but I don't know how that works.
How's the metal scene in Chicago?
This town is no good for a metal band. I think if you want to play in a cover band this is your town, but the metal scene here is bad. I really wish that would change, but it has been bad for quite a while now.
Why do you think thrash is making such a strong comeback the last couple of years?
It's a great genre. I think if you look at all the pioneers of the genre, and like you said some of them are returning to the scene. Metal in general is always something that has flourished as an underground , kind of scowled at music. The only people that get it are the ones that the music is written for.
What are your all time favorite metal bands and albums?
Testament – The New Order, Demolition Hammer – Tortured Existence, Epidemic of Violence, Carcass – Heartwork, Obituary – Slowly we Rot, Cause of Death, and any Death album
