Interview with Legacy

First of all, tell me how you got in contact with Grau records? Surprising to see them sign FALL OF EMPYREAN after Tom's split with Prophecy productions. And of course, I like to know how satisfied you are with the deal?

Strangely enough, I believe it was one of our fans from Germany that helped us land the deal with Grau, from what I know. Apparently, this person is friends with Tom and talked to him about signing us, since we were unsigned at the time. So, Tom go a hold of us soon after and the deal was made. We had already sent promos to Grau, hoping they would sign us, but nothing ever came of it until this guy talked to Tom. As far as I know, that is how it happened. And actually, we did end up signing with them before the split with Prophecy Productions, so maybe that is why they still signed us at the time.

As for the deal, we are very happy with it. For years we had to finance our own albums and really struggled to find someone to release it or to release it ourselves, so it is great to know that we already have a deal in place to get our next three albums released. It is a load off our back, now we can just concentrate on writing and releasing new music without worrying how it's going to get released. And ever since Grau split with Prophecy Productions, things seem to be moving a lot quicker and smoother, so that is even better.

"A Life Spent Dying" was delayed for almost a year now, as far as I read. For what reason(s)?

Well, we recorded the album back in 2007, so it was delayed much longer than a year, unfortunately. The main reason for the delay, from then until now, had to do with trying to finance the album ourselves and trying to find a label to release it. We kept falling short on money to do it ourselves, so we really tried to work with a label on it, but until Grau came along, we never had any luck. We did end up signing with Grau a year after it was recorded, but with all the issues the label had in their separation with Prophecy Productions, it kept getting pushed back longer, so at that point it was out of our control. But, we were finally able to get it released this year and now that the label is back on track, there should never be a delay that long again. I can tell you that we hard at work on new material, have most of a new album already written, and hope to get back into the studio by early next year.

When thinking of Arizona, I have Monument Valley and John McCain in mind, maybe rattlesnakes, too. Nothing connected with extreme music. So how did you found each other to perform metal? Is there a vital scene or is FALL OF EMPYREAN a solitaire in the desert?

The scene here is actually pretty good now. It started really good back in the early-mid '90s, when I first started in bands, then it died down for a little bit, but now there are quite a few bands here playing extreme music. Although, we are the only death/doom metal band around here. Everything else is brutal death metal or black metal. There are even some big name bands on major labels from here, such as Job For A Cowboy, Vehemence, Abigail Williams, etc., so the scene has made a name for itself. Not sure if any of these bands are popular in Europe, but they seem to do all of the US tours.

But, I can tell you that it was extremely difficult to find band members to play death/doom here. I was in a band called Nuctemeron in the early '90s and we were playing death/doom, but after the band broke up in '95, it wasn't until late 2000 when I found Fall of Empyrean, and there still isn't any other death/doom bands here. So, I was lucky to find them through an ad in the paper, and joined the band just months after they started. Justin, the founding member, is the only one left from the original starting line-up, but Dan and myself joined shortly after they started. It has been difficult to find members when we lose one, mainly because everyone out here wants to play fast, but we have a band now that is great and should last the duration.

In Europe, almost every band sticks to "roots" of pre-christian culture. Now, FALL OF EMPYREAN neither have Native American influence, nor hispanic melodies. After all, it seems, you sound very European. Would you agree?

Yes, absolutely, and I really think it's because we grew up listening to all of the European bands, so they were a heavy influence on us. Of course, the pioneers of death/doom, such as My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, and Anathema, were our biggest influences. But we were also listening to Carcass, Napalm Death, Dismember, Entombed, and a lot of the other European bands, so I am sure that it why we have a lot European influence in our music.

As for the album, "A Life Spent Dying" sounds way more easy-listening than your label comrades of Longing For Dawn or Mourning Beloveth. I am not saying this to offend you, but with a look on those extensive use of instrumental interludes ('Anhedonia', 'Lifeless In My Arms'), which let the album appear kind of slack, or fluffy ... right?

Well, what we really tried to do with this album was to show our versatility and give the listeners some variety, show that we can expand our horizons and do different things. That is the main reason we included the acoustic songs and Catharsis, the fast song at the end. The biggest complaint with our last album, was that it got to be monotonous and that every song sounded the same, so we wanted to change it up a bit, stray from the typical death/doom pattern a bit. Even though the acoustics are not as aggressive as the rest of the album, we still feel they are sad and depressing in their own way.

When listening to bands like Paradise Lost, or My Dying Bride, I can feel the tension of their music by hearing the whole album. When listening to FALL OF EMPYREAN, it seems, every song has its own flow. Is there any concept behind?

I think the main reason for that, is because a lot of our songs are written so far apart that they seem to have their own feel and take on their own sound, there really isn't a concept behind it. I think a lot bands come together and write an album within a month or two, so it's only natural that the songs blend a lot better and give the album an overall feel to it. Justin, the main song writer in the band, will write a song or two, then it could be months before he writes another song or two, so it consists of the different moods and inspirations that hit at those different times, giving each song its own unique quality.

How much do you think, does a Doom Metal band need inspiration from Heroes like My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost or Anathema, and how much is it musical expression of own human failure and suffering?

I think the core of your sound should be inspired by those pioneers of death/doom, especially since they all started that genre of doom, but I think individually, as bands, we all try and express our own ideas of depression, failure, suffering, etc, musically and lyrically. I know we try and keep things on a personal level, not specific to us, but what normal people go through in everyday life. The pain and suffering that we all experience throughout our lives, this is where we get our inspiration from, especially lyrically, not really from myth, legend, and other fictional ideas.

If Black Metal is the gospel of anti-christianity, which gospel do FALL OF EMPYREAN play?

The end of hope, happiness, and humanity is the gospel we preach. The basic concept of the band has always dealt with personal depression, suicide, murder/suicide, self-mutilation, just the complete loss of hope and faith in humanity. As I had said in my previous answer, we really try and keep things on a personal level, it is not really about the apocalypse, the end of the world, and other religious connotations, but more of what we deal with as individuals and with the people we know.

Reading the titles, there seems to be a logical connection in topic between two songs: 'Anhedonia' and 'Vast But Desolate', 'The Air Is Still' and 'A Long Silence', 'Lifeless In My Arms' and 'Veins Split Wide'. Just a matter of coincidence? I mean, lyrically, Doom Metal has its patterns, but it appears too obvious here.

Actually, it is just a coincidence, at least as far as the titles go, but lyrically we try and have a specific theme or concept for the album. The thing is, we come up with the titles long before we do the lyrics, and most of time they are just random titles we come up with that we think sound good, then we base the lyrics off of them. Lately, Justin has been naming the songs when he finishes writing them, we end up keeping the title, and I use the title as a subject for the lyrics. But, all of those songs mentioned above were written so far apart from each other, that there wouldn't be a reason to believe there is a connection between them based on the song titles.

Same with the last tracks on your previous albums, where you referred to 'Shadows Of The Sun' and 'The Light Of Dawn'. But now, you point to a 'Catharsis'. Towards what?

I really wish I had more of philosophical answer for you, but really, that song was put at the end because of how different it was, being fast and more of a death metal song. We wanted to throw the listeners off a bit and end it with something no one would expect. Our first album 'Anhedonia' was somewhat a concept album; all of the songs relate with each other and tell a story, and the titles relate in the same way, but that hasn't been the case with our other albums. There is an overall theme to the other albums, but nothing that relates specifically.

Last but one question: where did you get the idea for the band's name from? Do you know that "The Empyrean" drawing from Gustav Doré's "Divina Comedia" illustrations?

As for the drawing, I am not really familiar with it at all. I have heard about it, but do not know much about it. Actually, Justin, who founded the band, got the name Empyrean from an old Anathema song off of The Silent Enigma. And of course, Empyrean, in religious connotations, being the upper most sphere of heaven, he thought it appropriate that we should be the Fall of Empyrean. Again, keeping it on a personal level, not meaning to deal with heaven or the end of heaven, but more the end of hope and happiness, which people feel heaven would bring them.

Tell me about your future plans, please. Any live activities here at the old continent planned/delayed/postponed?

In the near future, we have our CD release show coming up, plan on doing more shows around the states, and are working hard on new material for the next album. We have almost another full album written and hope we can get back in the studio early next year. As for Europe, that is our goal right now and we hope to be there late this year, early next year. Our tour agent, Lugga Music, is really working hard at getting us out there, so hopefully soon!

Thank you for answering the questions, if there is anything I forgot, the last words are yours!

We would just like to thank you so much for the interview and for all of your support, it is greatly appreciated. We look forward to your future reviews and interviews for our upcoming albums. And we would like to especially thank our fans for their continuing support and patience, now that things are moving with the label, we will be a lot more active and there should be no more delays in releasing albums. And if you guys want to see us out in Europe, please message your local promoter and the people who run the festivals and tell them that you want to see us out there, that way they could book us. We hope to see you soon!