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Dead To Fall formed in 1999 in Chicago, Illinois. Their debut album, Everything I Touch Falls To Pieces garnered positive reviews
in regional and national magazines. They toured in support with bands as diverse as The
Red Chord and Malevolent Creation, setting the tone for their future projects while
straddling the hardcore and metal worlds.
In September 2004, Villainy and Virtue hit
stores, and was immediately embraced by fans and press alike. Tours with Napalm Death,
Remembering Never and Most Precious Blood helped spread the word and Dead To Fall’s loyal
fan base went on to buy 60,000 copies of their first two albums. Numerous line up changes
took place over the years, making it hard for singer Jon Hunt to continue, but he has
never been happier than in the current incarnation. “I
used to try to control every aspect of the band, I wasn’t able to relinquish control. Now
my band is more balanced and we are all contributors to making our vision a
reality.”
In naming their new album The Phoenix Throne,
Dead To Fall managed to sum up the themes surrounding both their new songs and their
lives. Weathering more than the usual number of line up changes through the years gives
them remarkable insight into the nuts and bolts of reinvention and the challenge of
continuing to grow musically while building a loyal fan base.
The struggle to evolve is a rousing success by any terms . While some of the players
in Dead To Fall changed, the band steered a course to tried and true collaborators,
choosing previous producer (Eric Rachel) and packaging artist (Paul Romano). “Why fix what isn’t broken?” asks vocalist Jon Hunt,
“Eric understood where we had been musically and the
progression we had undergone. The fantastic thing is he is able to tailor his sounds to
the band, instead of imposing a trademark sound on each band that comes his way.”
As for Romano, Hunt explains, “Paul’s art walks the line between deceptively simple and
elaborate. We love art that ties in with the other elements of the album, and no one is
more detailed and thoughtful during the process.”
Lyrically, Hunt broke new ground as well, with more conceptual lyrics and adventurous
musicianship. In songs like 'Guillotine Dream', a six minute-plus opus that imagine the
jarring thoughts of a condemned man awaiting execution. 'Doomed to Failure' portrays two
dreams clashing with catastrophic results; it is only when one is dead that realization
that the constant struggle provided all power, but by then it is too late. Classically
informed arpeggios throw sparks in the dark landscape while alternating vocal tones tell
the story from two perspectives.
'Chum Fiesta' uses old school riffage and speedy double bass to tell the tale of a shark
attack – calls of “Oh Shit” as the sharks
approach instill needed humor for a decidedly gory topic. The album’s final track, 'Death
and Rebirth' brings its themes full circle, with lyrics like, “In flame we’ve been reborn, a pure stronger power, a new oath we
have sworn”. Rachel’s suggestion to add something orchestral was embraced by the
band, and Michael Romeo of Symphony X was recruited to create an epic piece of music that
includes a full orchestra and choir. His work elevates the song to new heights, giving it
the dignity and stateliness that the lyrics command, making it the perfect closer for the
album.
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