Issue date: 1/20/09 Section: Arts & Society

Forgive the Fallen is a local band with an extra punch. They've conquered the Maryland and Northern Virginia metal scene, playing numerous shows with regional acts and opening for such national (and international) names such as Otep, Hellyeah and Within Temptation.

What sets them apart, however, is not their progressive structure (the band has three guitarists instead of the traditional one or two, and a female singer, giving them a unique footprint in an overflowing metal music industry) or continuous shows.

Instead, the band, which formed in 2005, has gone from being an entity that recorded an EP after being together for only 5 months to an act on the brink of breaking an over-used mold of DIY bands.

The group recently played at Rams Head Live! and proudly showcased a variety of new music that blends a variety of personal charm and obvious development of song writing and chord progression.

The result is a 90s-infused merge of popular alternative metal, giving local listeners hope for a change in a tired industry. I was able to talk to the band about their opinions on creative process, screaming technique and more.

Laila Hanson: How did you all meet?
Bill [Wienecke, Guitar]: Mike [Hennick, Bass]'s been a good friend of mine for a long time. Jordan [Shea, Guitar]'s been a friend of mine for a long time, Tim [Rolnick, Drums]…me and Tim were in another band earlier in our careers, Adriana [Galan, Vocalist] I met through Myspace, and Steve [Smith, Guitar] and I, we met through various people.

LH: What made you all decide to go in the musical direction that you're in? Were you are big metal heads?
Adriana: I've always been a huge metal head, I started off with listening to Nirvana when I was eight years old, and I just liked hearing more heavier stuff and listened to bands like Sevendust who were a big, huge influence on me. They actually inspired me to write music and start to write lyrics and get me to sing in a band.

LH: What about the rest of you guys?
Steve: I've been playing music since I was four years old. I've only just found that when you try to choose a specific genre or you try to write something in your head, or try to go in a certain direction or something…I just try to go with the gut, whatever comes out. When I write, I do write a lot of heavy stuff, but I also like writing everything from crazy metal to punkadelic and shit. Whatever's in my brain, I guess, at the time.

LH: Do you guys think you have to be in a certain mood to be able to write?
Adriana: Honestly, yeah, that helps me out a lot. It helps me, if I go through a situation or a life experience; it just helps me write because I feel that you have to be honest with whatever you're writing, and it has to come from the heart. You can't fake it or force it, or else it just doesn't sound right.
Steve: For me, it's very seasonal. During the summer and spring I tend to write less, and when it gets dark, that's like my creative spurt. But you can never sit down and be like, "I'm going to write something."

LH: So what do you think of these manufactured bands out there that, like, change one chord and have a new hit?
Steve: This is the worst industry to [make it in.] Anyone who can make it, whether they work really hard at it or change one or two chords, it's very hard to make it in, and I give them credit.

LH: Do you think that the state of the music industry is different now than it has been in, say, the past 10 years?
Mike: It's [come to the point] where there aren't any real record deals out there anymore, I feel that when you got signed, how it was 10, 15 years ago, you could make a lot of money. You got a lot of publicity. And there's just nothing like that anymore. Nowadays even if you have good music, I'm sure they do well, but I doubt they're super millionaires or anything. I'm sure they still have to tour and have to go out there every single day. I don't think anything comes easy.
Adriana: I've seen an increasing amount of females out there, and it's great and very encouraging to see other female bands. I think people nowadays are more open to the idea of seeing girls on stage and rocking out with boys.
Steve: I know one thing that I've seen that I've noticed within the past seven or eight years, is the whole digital music age like with downloading music on Limewire, that really screwed up the whole music industry. I download stuff too, but because of that, no one's getting multi-million dollar record deals. They're not selling. The only way to sell records now is at shows, and even at shows, someone's going to buy it and put it on the Internet for everyone else.

 

Bill: The record labels wasted years manufacturing bands, and then, thanks to the Internet, everyone bought the one hit song and then they downloaded it, and [thought] the rest of the album was crap. The record labels don't know what they're doing. They just have a bunch of artists that they've guaranteed a bunch of money to, and now it's like, "Well, no, we're not giving anyone money."

LH: Do you think because of that you want to remain unsigned for a while?
Adriana: It has to have the [right] timing. And right now, we want to focus on getting our music out there and getting more of a fan base, talk to people one-on-one. And people really do appreciate that a lot. That means a lot to me, especially. You know having people come up to me and say, "Yeah, I really dig your stuff." It's more personal.

LH: You've played with a lot of bands. Have you met anyone on your same level that have had the "rock star" persona?"
Unanimous: Yes!
Steve: I am one of the people that plays with everybody and I have met some of the worst bands on earth who [think] they're gods. I know all these kids in all these really big bands, and it's funny, because 90 percent of the bands who have made it and are some of the coolest people I've ever met. Then there's these guys who are pulling 30 dollars a night for their shows, and they think they're gods gift to [rock]. It's completely backwards.
Adriana: You know, it's out there, and all we have is each other. It's great to have bands supporting one another, so we should really [see more of that].

LH: I don't want to ask any stereotypical questions, but do you think the grunge scene of the 90s, like Shirley Manson or The Cranberries kind of [paved the way] for female-fronted bands?
Adriana: Oh, definitely. It gave us a big huge kick in the butt to get us out there. The Cranberries are one of my major influences. I love them.

LH: I read on your Myspace that you get vocal training from…?
Adriana: Oh, Melissa Cross.

LH: Where'd you find her?
Adriana: I actually heard about her through Revolver Magazine, and my friends mentioned her. I wanted to try it out because I needed some help. I'm always willing to learn and always willing to see what can help me improve my vocals, so I checked her out, and this woman knew what she was talking about. She explained everything about the anatomy of the vocal chords, and things that will hurt or help you. So she helped me out a lot.

LH: Do you see a lot of bands out there that don't use their vocals correctly?
Adriana: Yes, and it hurts me so bad. Especially when they're screaming throughout a few songs, they sound really hoarse. I'm like, "Aww, I want to help you."

LH: Was there anything else you wanted to add?
Adriana: I just want to thank everyone for coming out and supporting us at our shows, it really means the [world] to us to get that love!