Fear Before
Encyclopedia
Fear Before is an experimental rock
band that resides in Aurora, Colorado
. As stated on their Alternative Press podcast, their name originates from a Denver Post newspaper headline of local forest fires titled "The Fear Before The March of Flames." They released their debut album Odd How People Shake
in 2003 with a re-release in January 2004, second album Art Damage
in September 2004, third album The Always Open Mouth
in September 2006, and fourth album Fear Before
in October 2008.
in Aurora
, CO
, however Adam is the only Colorado native. The band took their name from a local newspaper headline when wildfires swept through their state. The band drew inspiration from bands such as Botch
, Converge
and The Blood Brothers in creating their music. Prior to forming Fear Before, Adam, Mike, and Brandon were in a pop-punk band together called 36 Flip. David was their merch guy. After they decided to pursue a more abrasive post-hardcore/mathcore direction, David joined and Fear Before the March of Flames was born.
The band played their first show on August 1, 2002. In July and October 2002, the band recorded their three song debut EP with Jason Anderson at Grey Music Recording Company in Thornton, CO. The band sold copies of this EP on their early tours which garnered the attention of Portland
based Rise Records
. Once signed to Rise, the band released their debut album Odd How People Shake
in July 2003. They gained notoriety outside of Colorado from tours with bands such as The Blood Brothers and Hopesfall
. However, it was on tour with the band Bear vs. Shark
in which they were noticed and then signed to the more prominent Equal Vision Records
, who re-released their debut in January 2004. Their debut was primarily in the vein of post-hardcore
, featuring a mix of screamed vocals on the part of David Michael Marion and clean singing provided by Adam Rupert Fisher. It is rumoured that every song on the album is based on a movie ("Sarah Goldfarb, Where are Your Manners?", for example, is about Requiem for a Dream).
In concert, the band plays few, if any, songs from their debut. On their website, they explicitly state that they will not play one song in particular from their debut, "On the Brightside, She Could Choke;". However, on October 30, 2007 at a show in Houston, TX they played an acoustic set at Warehouse Live that included "On the Brightside." Due to a loss in the drummer Clayton Holyoak's family, the band decided to play an acoustic set because they would be at a loss of percussion.
On September 5, 2008 at an intimate hometown show in Denver, CO during their encore Fear Before asked the audience what song they wanted to hear. Unanimously, the entire audience started to chant for "Brightside" and after some hesitation, they played the song in its original form for the first time since 2003. The band has also played this song twice since this show, once in Anaheim, CA and again in Denver, CO.
on the Radiotakeover Tour. The band also played select dates with Norma Jean
in August and October as well. In August, the band recorded a live EP at The Epicentre in San Diego, California
, titled Live at the Epicentre
, which was later released in September.
Their second album, Art Damage
, was released on Equal Vision Records in September 2004, and was a marked change in direction for the band. Art Damage featured "a much more straightforward, significantly harder style." Different from the earlier material, FBTMOF changed from the original indie
post-hardcore
sound to more of a mathcore
based sound. The video for the single "Should Have Stayed in the Shallows" was filmed in the same basement as the one used in the film Fight Club
and was heavily rotated on MTV2
's show Headbanger's Ball.
Through April 2005, the band toured with Underoath
and The Chariot
. The band also played on the Sounds of the Underground tour on Midwest and Southeast dates.
On October 18, 2005, Immortal Records
released the soundtrack for the Masters of Horror
television series. Fear Before the March of Flames provided a previously unreleased song "237" for the soundtrack which took its name from the infamous room number from the film, The Shining
. It was featured in the credits for the Tobe Hooper
directed episode Dance of the Dead
.
Reunion Show, and in August they went on to play at the Dirt Fest.
Their third studio album, The Always Open Mouth
, was released on September 19, 2006. Fischer explains that the title of the album refers to people who act like "An all-knowing super being from another realm sent here to save us all, or be a fucking loud mouth bigot. They are The Always Open Mouth." This album marks a considerably different sound from previous recordings, containing a much more experimental side with more emphasis on antiphony between the lead vocalist Marion, and guitarist and vocalist Fisher, and a considerable lesser amount of screaming. It is described as "boldly experimental and brimming with musical complexity". The band has gone onto reply to fan response that found the album to be a large departure from the sound of Art Damage by stating that they "just wanted to do something we hadn't done before." The first single off of the album was the song "Taking Cassandra to the End of the World Party", and a video was also filmed with director David Bell. The song references the Greek legend of Cassandra
, a woman who possessed the gift of prophecy
, but was cursed by the fact that no one would believe her tellings. Proff left the band to pursue a teaching career and drummer Clayton "Goose" Holyoak, guitarist Zach "Binks" Hutchings, and guitarist/keyboardist Billy Johnson were added.
From October 2006 to December 2006, the band played with previous tour-mates Norma Jean, and Between the Buried and Me
, on the first ever Radio Rebellion Tour. In March 2007, the band played a portion of the Russian Circles
Plan Midwest Tour and played one day at the Appalachian Annihilation Festival. That month as well, the band again changed their lineup. They stated that Billy Johnson (touring guitarist) left the band due to personal reasons. In July/August 2007 the band embarked on their first headlining tour with 65daysofstatic
. This Will Destroy You
, and Hot Cross
as support. For this tour they released a limited edition EP entitled A Little Less Teeth
featuring live sessions, outtakes, and demos.
The band had planned to release a DVD titled Absolute Past, Absolute Future with an estimated release date in Spring 2007. The DVD would cover the band's touring before they recorded The Always Open Mouth and the two months spent in Seattle recording the album. Fear Before the March of Flames explains that the DVD will not be "random live footage from four years [...] followed by random live footage from three years ago". Absolute Past, Absolute Future would be presented in documentary form, telling the history of the band chronologically. However, the footage was lost and the release was scrapped.
, Portugal. The Man
, The Fall of Troy
) during June and July 2008 and was released October 28, 2008.
The self-titled album marked many changes for the band. This is the first album where lead vocalist Dave Marion contributed the majority of lyrics for the album. In the past, guitarist and back-up vocalist Adam Fisher had written the majority of the lyrics. In contrast to their previous work, most of Dave's vocals on this album are sung as opposed to screamed. This is the first album to feature current drummer Clayton 'Goose' Holyoak, as well as the first and last album where Zachary 'Binks' Hutchings had a substantial role in the writing of a Fear Before album. He had previously played on The Always Open Mouth
but did not contribute to writing. The album features guest vocals by a number of people including most notably Thomas Erak from The Fall Of Troy
as well as Zachary Carothers of Portugal. The Man
, Robert Smith of Heavy Heavy Low Low
, Quentin Smith of Vaux
, and Dreu Damian of I Am The Ocean. One of the songs from the album, "Review Our Lives" is a revised version of "Epic Song" which was previously released as a live session on their A Little Less Teeth
EP.
In September 2008 they embarked on a headlining tour with Damiera
and I Am the Ocean as support. Fear Before also announced on September 9, 2008 that they would be dropping "The March of Flames" from their name, and will from now on be known as simply "Fear Before". The band had considered keeping their full name and simply titling the album 'Fear Before', but decided against it at the last minute.
In early 2009, Zach Hutchings left the band to join Utah group I Am the Ocean. Adam has stated that Zach left due to some personal and creative tensions, though Zach and the band remain good friends. The band have decided to remain a four piece. After Binks' departure, the band supported Alesana
on a package tour that spring. In the summer, Fear Before toured Australia for the first time, where their friend Trent Jacobi fell through the roof of a house and was hospitalized. In response to this event, Fear Before posted their discography on Bandcamp.com to raise money to cover hospital bills. Tour and labelmates Circa Survive
also released a limited edition 7" featuring b-sides from On Letting Go
to raise money for Trent.
After returning from Australia they embarked on what would be their last headlining tour, with Oceana
and Memphis May Fire
as support. The band planned to not tour in 2010 and instead stay home and continue work on their fifth full-length. The band's last show before their hiatus began was on December 4, 2009 at the Crabtree Brewing Company in Greeley, CO.
""guys. im sorry if you have been left with the feeling that we (fear before the march of flames) have been leading you on making you think were working on music. we are not. as of april 2010 goose david mike and i have not been in the same room together with our instruments. however, until april 2010 i had written quite a few songs for a new fear before the march of flames record with the help of goose. whether or not we will ever release another record is up in the air right now. there is no immediate plan to write/record/ or tour. this has nothing to do with Orbs, Loom, All Human, or any other project goose or i may be a part of. Its just the way things went. 2009 took a very weird turn for us and it kinda left all of us collectively and individually wondering what the hell we were doing. I truly am sorry to everyone who is anxiously awaiting a new record from us. im not saying it will never happen, i just cant say that it will. we appreciate all you as friends and fans have allowed us to do and the second there is any development in fear before world you will be the first to know. please feel free to voice your opinion on the matter and i will respond. just know i truly hate bumming any of you out. it truly wasn't my or our intent for it to come to this. as far as all human goes, that is where i will be directing my creative energy for the time being. i hope you guys will enjoy that for what it is. its not a side project or something to keep me busy until something else comes along. it is the music i feel like making and sharing for right now. love you guys. thank you for your support. adam""
Three days later he made another statement making it clear the band is not breaking up, saying "friends. do not mistake my previous post for a break up announcement. it was an update letting you know that we are currently inactive and there is no forthcoming record from us as of now. i cannot say what the future holds.-adam"
Former
Experimental rock
Experimental rock or avant-garde rock is a type of music based on rock which experiments with the basic elements of the genre, or which pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique....
band that resides in Aurora, Colorado
Aurora, Colorado
City of Aurora is a Home Rule Municipality spanning Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties in Colorado. Aurora is an eastern suburb of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area . The city is the third most populous city in the Colorado and the 56th most populous city in the...
. As stated on their Alternative Press podcast, their name originates from a Denver Post newspaper headline of local forest fires titled "The Fear Before The March of Flames." They released their debut album Odd How People Shake
Odd How People Shake
Odd How People Shake, released under Rise Records in 2003, is the debut album from the mathcore band Fear Before the March of Flames. It was re-released by the band's current label, Equal Vision Records in January 2004.-Track listing:-Song trivia:...
in 2003 with a re-release in January 2004, second album Art Damage
Art Damage
- Track title references :"Consequences David" is a quote taken from the film Vanilla Sky."Whiskey Is Alright in its Place, But its Place Is in Hell" comes from a prohibition-era mural the band saw while on tour....
in September 2004, third album The Always Open Mouth
The Always Open Mouth
-Personnel:*Brandon L. Proff - Drums, Percussion, Programming, Gangs*Michael L. Madruga - Bass, Percussion, Gangs*David M. Marion - Vocals*Adam R. Fisher - Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals, Programming, Percussion*Zachary M...
in September 2006, and fourth album Fear Before
Fear Before (album)
Fear Before is the self-titled fourth full length album from experimental rock band, Fear Before. The album was released on October 28, 2008 through Equal Vision Records and was produced by Casey Bates and recorded at Johnny Cab Studios and London Bridge studio in Seattle, WA...
in October 2008.
Odd How People Shake (2002-2003)
In 2002, Fear Before the March of Flames was formed in Aurora, Colorado with vocalist David Marion, guitarist/vocalist Adam Fisher, bassist Michael Madruga, and drummer Brandon Proff. The original members all met at Smoky Hill High SchoolSmoky Hill High School
Smoky Hill High School is located in Aurora, Colorado and currently has around 2,600 students. Smoky Hill is part of the Cherry Creek School District and was the second high school built by the district in 1974.It goes by the short name 'Smoky'...
in Aurora
Aurora, Colorado
City of Aurora is a Home Rule Municipality spanning Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties in Colorado. Aurora is an eastern suburb of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area . The city is the third most populous city in the Colorado and the 56th most populous city in the...
, CO
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, however Adam is the only Colorado native. The band took their name from a local newspaper headline when wildfires swept through their state. The band drew inspiration from bands such as Botch
Botch (band)
Botch was a four-piece mathcore band from Tacoma, Washington, United States, that formed in 1993 and disbanded in 2002.-History:The band released two full-length albums and a handful of smaller releases including several singles and an EP. Its members went on an indefinite hiatus to form Roy,...
, Converge
Converge (band)
Converge is an American band from Salem, Massachusetts. Playing a blend of hardcore punk and metal since 1990, Converge has helped to define many of the elements of the metalcore genre.-Description:...
and The Blood Brothers in creating their music. Prior to forming Fear Before, Adam, Mike, and Brandon were in a pop-punk band together called 36 Flip. David was their merch guy. After they decided to pursue a more abrasive post-hardcore/mathcore direction, David joined and Fear Before the March of Flames was born.
The band played their first show on August 1, 2002. In July and October 2002, the band recorded their three song debut EP with Jason Anderson at Grey Music Recording Company in Thornton, CO. The band sold copies of this EP on their early tours which garnered the attention of Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
based Rise Records
Rise Records
-History:Rise was founded in 1991 by Craig Ericson in Roseburg, Oregon. He released a small number of 7" records before putting the label on hiatus to attend college. Ericson didn't release anything further until 1999, after moving to Portland, Oregon. He began issuing small-print 7" records, and...
. Once signed to Rise, the band released their debut album Odd How People Shake
Odd How People Shake
Odd How People Shake, released under Rise Records in 2003, is the debut album from the mathcore band Fear Before the March of Flames. It was re-released by the band's current label, Equal Vision Records in January 2004.-Track listing:-Song trivia:...
in July 2003. They gained notoriety outside of Colorado from tours with bands such as The Blood Brothers and Hopesfall
Hopesfall
Hopesfall was a post-hardcore band from Charlotte, North Carolina formed in 1998. They were signed to Trustkill Records. The band broke up in 2008 after all members, with the exception of singer Jay Forrest, decided to leave the band.-Biography:...
. However, it was on tour with the band Bear vs. Shark
Bear vs. Shark
Bear vs. Shark was an American post-hardcore band from Highland, Michigan. They were founded in 2001 and disbanded in 2005 after releasing one EP and two full-length studio albums while signed to Equal Vision Records.-Formation:...
in which they were noticed and then signed to the more prominent Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records is a record label based in Albany, New York, which has a focus in metal or punk-based rock genres. Equal Vision Records was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo ....
, who re-released their debut in January 2004. Their debut was primarily in the vein of post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
, featuring a mix of screamed vocals on the part of David Michael Marion and clean singing provided by Adam Rupert Fisher. It is rumoured that every song on the album is based on a movie ("Sarah Goldfarb, Where are Your Manners?", for example, is about Requiem for a Dream).
In concert, the band plays few, if any, songs from their debut. On their website, they explicitly state that they will not play one song in particular from their debut, "On the Brightside, She Could Choke;". However, on October 30, 2007 at a show in Houston, TX they played an acoustic set at Warehouse Live that included "On the Brightside." Due to a loss in the drummer Clayton Holyoak's family, the band decided to play an acoustic set because they would be at a loss of percussion.
On September 5, 2008 at an intimate hometown show in Denver, CO during their encore Fear Before asked the audience what song they wanted to hear. Unanimously, the entire audience started to chant for "Brightside" and after some hesitation, they played the song in its original form for the first time since 2003. The band has also played this song twice since this show, once in Anaheim, CA and again in Denver, CO.
Art Damage (2004-2005)
From late July 2004 to mid August 2004, the band played with Evergreen Terrace and I Killed the Prom QueenI Killed the Prom Queen
I Killed the Prom Queen is an Australian metalcore band which formed in 2000 with mainstays JJ Peters on drums and Jona Weinhofen on guitar. The band featured prominently on the Australian live music scene and toured the USA, Japan and parts of Europe several times...
on the Radiotakeover Tour. The band also played select dates with Norma Jean
Norma Jean (band)
Norma Jean is an American metalcore band from Douglasville, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. Since their inception in 1997 and replacement of members throughout the years, the band's only original member is the guitarist, Chris Day...
in August and October as well. In August, the band recorded a live EP at The Epicentre in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, titled Live at the Epicentre
Live at the Epicentre
Live at the Epicentre is a live album recorded by Colorado band Fear Before the March of Flames. It was recorded on August 7, 2004, shortly before the release of their second album Art Damage...
, which was later released in September.
Their second album, Art Damage
Art Damage
- Track title references :"Consequences David" is a quote taken from the film Vanilla Sky."Whiskey Is Alright in its Place, But its Place Is in Hell" comes from a prohibition-era mural the band saw while on tour....
, was released on Equal Vision Records in September 2004, and was a marked change in direction for the band. Art Damage featured "a much more straightforward, significantly harder style." Different from the earlier material, FBTMOF changed from the original indie
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
sound to more of a mathcore
Mathcore
Mathcore is a rhythmically complex and dissonant fusion style of hardcore punk and Metal. It has its roots in bands such as Converge, Botch, and The Dillinger Escape Plan. The term mathcore is suggested by analogy with math rock. Both math rock and mathcore make use of unusual time signatures...
based sound. The video for the single "Should Have Stayed in the Shallows" was filmed in the same basement as the one used in the film Fight Club
Fight Club (film)
Fight Club is a 1999 American film based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk. The film was directed by David Fincher and stars Edward Norton, Brad Pitt and Helena Bonham Carter. Norton plays the unnamed protagonist, an "everyman" who is discontented with his white-collar job...
and was heavily rotated on MTV2
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
's show Headbanger's Ball.
Through April 2005, the band toured with Underoath
Underoath
Underoath is an American Christian metalcore band from Tampa, Florida. Founded by Dallas Taylor and Luke Morton on November 30, 1997 in Ocala, Florida, subsequently its additional members were from Tampa, Florida...
and The Chariot
The Chariot
The Chariot is an American mathcore band from Douglasville, Georgia, formed in 2003. The current lineup consists of drummer David Kennedy, bassist Jon "KC Wolf" Kindler, vocalist and bandleader Josh Scogin, and guitarists Brandon Henderson and Stephen Harrison. The band has experienced frequent...
. The band also played on the Sounds of the Underground tour on Midwest and Southeast dates.
On October 18, 2005, Immortal Records
Immortal Records
Immortal Records is an independent record label out of Los Angeles, California. Founded by Happy Walters in 1994, the label had helped launched the careers of such influential acts as Korn, 30 Seconds to Mars, and Incubus over the years. The label had also released soundtracks, including Judgment...
released the soundtrack for the Masters of Horror
Masters of Horror
Masters of Horror is an informal social group of international film writers and directors specializing in horror movies and an American television series created by director Mick Garris for the Showtime cable network.- Origin :...
television series. Fear Before the March of Flames provided a previously unreleased song "237" for the soundtrack which took its name from the infamous room number from the film, The Shining
The Shining (film)
The Shining is a 1980 psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, co-written with novelist Diane Johnson, and starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, and Danny Lloyd. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. A writer, Jack Torrance, takes a job as an...
. It was featured in the credits for the Tobe Hooper
Tobe Hooper
Tobe Hooper is an American film director and screenwriter, best known for his work in the horror film genre. His works include the cult classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre , along with its first sequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 ; the three-time Emmy-nominated Stephen King film adaptation...
directed episode Dance of the Dead
Dance of the Dead (Masters of Horror episode)
Dance of the Dead is the third episode of the first season of Masters of Horror. It originally aired in North America on November 11, 2005. Richard Christian Matheson adapted the episode from a short story of the same name by his father, Richard Matheson...
.
The Always Open Mouth (2006-2007)
In June 2006, the band played 7 Angels 7 Plagues7 Angels 7 Plagues
7 Angels 7 Plagues was a Progressive Hardcore/Metalcore band from Racine, WI, United States, a town just south of Milwaukee. 7 Angels 7 Plagues formed in 1999 from the scraps of local Milwaukee bands Castahead and Intercede...
Reunion Show, and in August they went on to play at the Dirt Fest.
Their third studio album, The Always Open Mouth
The Always Open Mouth
-Personnel:*Brandon L. Proff - Drums, Percussion, Programming, Gangs*Michael L. Madruga - Bass, Percussion, Gangs*David M. Marion - Vocals*Adam R. Fisher - Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals, Programming, Percussion*Zachary M...
, was released on September 19, 2006. Fischer explains that the title of the album refers to people who act like "An all-knowing super being from another realm sent here to save us all, or be a fucking loud mouth bigot. They are The Always Open Mouth." This album marks a considerably different sound from previous recordings, containing a much more experimental side with more emphasis on antiphony between the lead vocalist Marion, and guitarist and vocalist Fisher, and a considerable lesser amount of screaming. It is described as "boldly experimental and brimming with musical complexity". The band has gone onto reply to fan response that found the album to be a large departure from the sound of Art Damage by stating that they "just wanted to do something we hadn't done before." The first single off of the album was the song "Taking Cassandra to the End of the World Party", and a video was also filmed with director David Bell. The song references the Greek legend of Cassandra
Cassandra
In Greek mythology, Cassandra was the daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy. Her beauty caused Apollo to grant her the gift of prophecy...
, a woman who possessed the gift of prophecy
Prophecy
Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
, but was cursed by the fact that no one would believe her tellings. Proff left the band to pursue a teaching career and drummer Clayton "Goose" Holyoak, guitarist Zach "Binks" Hutchings, and guitarist/keyboardist Billy Johnson were added.
From October 2006 to December 2006, the band played with previous tour-mates Norma Jean, and Between the Buried and Me
Between the Buried and Me
Between the Buried and Me is an American heavy metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina. They have released a total of five studio albums, as well as a cover album, an EP and a live DVD/CD...
, on the first ever Radio Rebellion Tour. In March 2007, the band played a portion of the Russian Circles
Russian Circles
Russian Circles is a three piece instrumental rock/metal band from Chicago. Russian Circles play instrumental, sprawling music which runs the gamut of heavy discordant metal, to soft delicate passages...
Plan Midwest Tour and played one day at the Appalachian Annihilation Festival. That month as well, the band again changed their lineup. They stated that Billy Johnson (touring guitarist) left the band due to personal reasons. In July/August 2007 the band embarked on their first headlining tour with 65daysofstatic
65daysofstatic
65daysofstatic are an instrumental post-rock and math rock band from Sheffield, England comprising Paul Wolinski, Joe Shrewsbury, Rob Jones and Simon Wright...
. This Will Destroy You
This Will Destroy You
This Will Destroy You, often abbreviated to TWDY, is an American post-rock band from San Marcos, Texas, formed in 2005. The band consists of guitarists Jeremy Galindo and Chris King, bass player and keyboardist Donovan Jones and drummer Alex Bhore...
, and Hot Cross
Hot Cross
Hot Cross was a hardcore band from Philadelphia. They were signed to Hope Division Records / Equal Vision Records. The band was composed of former members of such bands as Saetia , Off Minor , You and I , Neil...
as support. For this tour they released a limited edition EP entitled A Little Less Teeth
A Little Less Teeth
A Little Less Teeth is an EP release by the mathcore band Fear Before the March of Flames.This is the last release by the band before shortening their name to "Fear Before".-Track listing:*tracks 1–2 are from 2006's The Always Open Mouth LP....
featuring live sessions, outtakes, and demos.
The band had planned to release a DVD titled Absolute Past, Absolute Future with an estimated release date in Spring 2007. The DVD would cover the band's touring before they recorded The Always Open Mouth and the two months spent in Seattle recording the album. Fear Before the March of Flames explains that the DVD will not be "random live footage from four years [...] followed by random live footage from three years ago". Absolute Past, Absolute Future would be presented in documentary form, telling the history of the band chronologically. However, the footage was lost and the release was scrapped.
Fear Before (2008-2009)
In the January 2008 issue of Alternative Press, the band was featured as having one of the most anticipated albums of the year. The album, titled Fear Before, was recorded in Seattle, WA at Johnny Cab Studios with producer Casey Bates (Gatsbys American DreamGatsbys American Dream
Gatsbys American Dream is a Seattle-based indie rock band. Since their founding in 2002, they have released four full-length albums and one EP. They have also appeared on several compilations with original songs and covers. Gatsbys American Dream drew their name from F...
, Portugal. The Man
Portugal. The Man
Portugal. The Man is an American psychedelic rock band based in Portland, Oregon, but originally from Wasilla, Alaska. The group released their first two albums with Fearless Records. They also released material on their own imprint Approaching AIRballoons through indie label Equal Vision Records...
, The Fall of Troy
The Fall of Troy
The Fall of Troy was an American progressive math rock trio from Mukilteo, Washington. The trio consisted of Thomas Erak , Andrew Forsman and Frank Ene...
) during June and July 2008 and was released October 28, 2008.
The self-titled album marked many changes for the band. This is the first album where lead vocalist Dave Marion contributed the majority of lyrics for the album. In the past, guitarist and back-up vocalist Adam Fisher had written the majority of the lyrics. In contrast to their previous work, most of Dave's vocals on this album are sung as opposed to screamed. This is the first album to feature current drummer Clayton 'Goose' Holyoak, as well as the first and last album where Zachary 'Binks' Hutchings had a substantial role in the writing of a Fear Before album. He had previously played on The Always Open Mouth
The Always Open Mouth
-Personnel:*Brandon L. Proff - Drums, Percussion, Programming, Gangs*Michael L. Madruga - Bass, Percussion, Gangs*David M. Marion - Vocals*Adam R. Fisher - Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals, Programming, Percussion*Zachary M...
but did not contribute to writing. The album features guest vocals by a number of people including most notably Thomas Erak from The Fall Of Troy
The Fall of Troy
The Fall of Troy was an American progressive math rock trio from Mukilteo, Washington. The trio consisted of Thomas Erak , Andrew Forsman and Frank Ene...
as well as Zachary Carothers of Portugal. The Man
Portugal. The Man
Portugal. The Man is an American psychedelic rock band based in Portland, Oregon, but originally from Wasilla, Alaska. The group released their first two albums with Fearless Records. They also released material on their own imprint Approaching AIRballoons through indie label Equal Vision Records...
, Robert Smith of Heavy Heavy Low Low
Heavy Heavy Low Low
Heavy Heavy Low Low is a four piece Mathcore band from San Jose, California.-Biography:Formed in early 2004 in San Jose, California, Heavy Heavy Low Low began playing what may be called thrash , then metalcore, before evolving into a decidedly more style, and now, with the release of...
, Quentin Smith of Vaux
Vaux
-People:*Calvert Vaux , British-born American architect and landscape designer*Richard Vaux , an American politician, mayor of Philadelphia, and a member of the U.S...
, and Dreu Damian of I Am The Ocean. One of the songs from the album, "Review Our Lives" is a revised version of "Epic Song" which was previously released as a live session on their A Little Less Teeth
A Little Less Teeth
A Little Less Teeth is an EP release by the mathcore band Fear Before the March of Flames.This is the last release by the band before shortening their name to "Fear Before".-Track listing:*tracks 1–2 are from 2006's The Always Open Mouth LP....
EP.
In September 2008 they embarked on a headlining tour with Damiera
Damiera
Damiera is a three piece indie/math rock band based in Chicago, Illinois.-The Beginning:Damiera was formed in February, 2005, by David Raymond and ex-guitarist/vocalist Matthew Kipp after the dismemberment of their former project, League...
and I Am the Ocean as support. Fear Before also announced on September 9, 2008 that they would be dropping "The March of Flames" from their name, and will from now on be known as simply "Fear Before". The band had considered keeping their full name and simply titling the album 'Fear Before', but decided against it at the last minute.
In early 2009, Zach Hutchings left the band to join Utah group I Am the Ocean. Adam has stated that Zach left due to some personal and creative tensions, though Zach and the band remain good friends. The band have decided to remain a four piece. After Binks' departure, the band supported Alesana
Alesana
Alesana is an American rock band from Raleigh, North Carolina. Formed in 2004, the group is currently signed to Epitaph Records and have released one EP and four full-length studio albums...
on a package tour that spring. In the summer, Fear Before toured Australia for the first time, where their friend Trent Jacobi fell through the roof of a house and was hospitalized. In response to this event, Fear Before posted their discography on Bandcamp.com to raise money to cover hospital bills. Tour and labelmates Circa Survive
Circa Survive
Circa Survive is an American alternative rock band from the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania suburb of Doylestown, formed in 2004. The band consists of vocalist Anthony Green, former singer of Saosin and members of the now-defunct This Day Forward....
also released a limited edition 7" featuring b-sides from On Letting Go
On Letting Go
On Letting Go is the second album by Circa Survive. Released on May 29, 2007 by Equal Vision Records, the album debuted at number 24 on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling about 24,000 copies in its first week...
to raise money for Trent.
After returning from Australia they embarked on what would be their last headlining tour, with Oceana
Oceana
Oceana may refer to:* Oceana Keyboardist Derek Sherinian* 224 Oceana, an asteroid* Oceana , an indie rock/post-hardcore band* Oceana , aka Oceana Mahlmann, a German singer...
and Memphis May Fire
Memphis May Fire
Memphis May Fire is an American post-hardcore band currently based in Texas. Since its formation, the band has released two EPs and two full-length albums. Their music has been compared to Underoath and He Is Legend...
as support. The band planned to not tour in 2010 and instead stay home and continue work on their fifth full-length. The band's last show before their hiatus began was on December 4, 2009 at the Crabtree Brewing Company in Greeley, CO.
Indefinite Hiatus and Possible Fifth album (2010-present)
In January 2011, Adam played his first solo show at the Larimer Lounge in Denver, CO. He revealed that the songs he had been writing were not quite right for Fear Before and later dubbed the project All Human. After playing several local shows in the Denver and Salt Lake areas, he released the first All Human demos online. A 14 track album tentatively titled 'Catholic Guilt and the Queerest of Thoughts' is expected to be released later this year and is notable for featuring original Fear Before drummer Brandon Proff on many of the tracks. After close to 18 months of silence from the band, Adam posted the following message on the band's Facebook, signaling an indefinite hiatus.""guys. im sorry if you have been left with the feeling that we (fear before the march of flames) have been leading you on making you think were working on music. we are not. as of april 2010 goose david mike and i have not been in the same room together with our instruments. however, until april 2010 i had written quite a few songs for a new fear before the march of flames record with the help of goose. whether or not we will ever release another record is up in the air right now. there is no immediate plan to write/record/ or tour. this has nothing to do with Orbs, Loom, All Human, or any other project goose or i may be a part of. Its just the way things went. 2009 took a very weird turn for us and it kinda left all of us collectively and individually wondering what the hell we were doing. I truly am sorry to everyone who is anxiously awaiting a new record from us. im not saying it will never happen, i just cant say that it will. we appreciate all you as friends and fans have allowed us to do and the second there is any development in fear before world you will be the first to know. please feel free to voice your opinion on the matter and i will respond. just know i truly hate bumming any of you out. it truly wasn't my or our intent for it to come to this. as far as all human goes, that is where i will be directing my creative energy for the time being. i hope you guys will enjoy that for what it is. its not a side project or something to keep me busy until something else comes along. it is the music i feel like making and sharing for right now. love you guys. thank you for your support. adam""
Three days later he made another statement making it clear the band is not breaking up, saying "friends. do not mistake my previous post for a break up announcement. it was an update letting you know that we are currently inactive and there is no forthcoming record from us as of now. i cannot say what the future holds.-adam"
Members
Current- David Michael Marion - lead vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
(since 2002) - Adam "Rupert" Fisher - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
(since 2002) - Michael Madruga - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals (since 2002) - Clayton "Goose" Holyoak - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussion (since 2006)
Former
- Brandon Proff - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(2002–2006) - Mat Clouse - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(2002–2003) - Zachary "Binks" Hutchings - guitars (2005–2009)
- Billy Johnson - synth, guitars (tour, 2005–2007)
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Label | Chart peaks | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Heat Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
US Indie Independent Albums The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels... |
|||||||
| 2003 | Odd How People Shake Odd How People Shake Odd How People Shake, released under Rise Records in 2003, is the debut album from the mathcore band Fear Before the March of Flames. It was re-released by the band's current label, Equal Vision Records in January 2004.-Track listing:-Song trivia:... |
Rise Records Rise Records -History:Rise was founded in 1991 by Craig Ericson in Roseburg, Oregon. He released a small number of 7" records before putting the label on hiatus to attend college. Ericson didn't release anything further until 1999, after moving to Portland, Oregon. He began issuing small-print 7" records, and... |
— | — | — | ||||
| 2004 | Art Damage Art Damage - Track title references :"Consequences David" is a quote taken from the film Vanilla Sky."Whiskey Is Alright in its Place, But its Place Is in Hell" comes from a prohibition-era mural the band saw while on tour.... |
Equal Vision Records Equal Vision Records Equal Vision Records is a record label based in Albany, New York, which has a focus in metal or punk-based rock genres. Equal Vision Records was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo .... |
— | — | — | ||||
| 2006 | The Always Open Mouth The Always Open Mouth -Personnel:*Brandon L. Proff - Drums, Percussion, Programming, Gangs*Michael L. Madruga - Bass, Percussion, Gangs*David M. Marion - Vocals*Adam R. Fisher - Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals, Programming, Percussion*Zachary M... |
Equal Vision Records | 153 | 2 | 13 | ||||
| 2008 | Fear Before Fear Before (album) Fear Before is the self-titled fourth full length album from experimental rock band, Fear Before. The album was released on October 28, 2008 through Equal Vision Records and was produced by Casey Bates and recorded at Johnny Cab Studios and London Bridge studio in Seattle, WA... |
Equal Vision Records | — | 8 | 46 | ||||
| "—" denotes a release that did not chart. | |||||||||
EP
- Fear Before the March of FlamesFear Before the March of Flames (EP)Fear Before the March of Flames is a self-titled release from American post-hardcore band Fear Before the March of Flames. The EP was only available on their first tours before they signed to Rise Records...
(2002) - Self Released - Stop All the Downloading (Internet EP) (2005) - Equal Vision RecordsEqual Vision RecordsEqual Vision Records is a record label based in Albany, New York, which has a focus in metal or punk-based rock genres. Equal Vision Records was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo ....
- A Little Less TeethA Little Less TeethA Little Less Teeth is an EP release by the mathcore band Fear Before the March of Flames.This is the last release by the band before shortening their name to "Fear Before".-Track listing:*tracks 1–2 are from 2006's The Always Open Mouth LP....
(2007) - Equal Vision RecordsEqual Vision RecordsEqual Vision Records is a record label based in Albany, New York, which has a focus in metal or punk-based rock genres. Equal Vision Records was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo ....
DVD
- Absolute Future, Absolute Past DVD - Equal Vision RecordsEqual Vision RecordsEqual Vision Records is a record label based in Albany, New York, which has a focus in metal or punk-based rock genres. Equal Vision Records was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo ....
- This DVD footage was lost, Adam told the story in the AP Podcast available on iTunes.
Music Videos
- "The 20th Century Was Entirely Mine" (Odd How People Shake)
- "Should Have Stayed in the Shallows" (Art Damage)
- "Taking Cassandra to the End of the World Party" (The Always Open Mouth)
- "The Waiting Makes Me Curious" (The Always Open Mouth)
- "My (Fucking) Deer Hunter" (The Always Open Mouth)
- "Fear Before Doesn't Listen To People Who Don't Like Them" (Fear Before)
Songs on Compilations
- "Rise 2003 Sampler"(Rise Records, date unknown)
- Track unknown: "A Shoreline Perspective"
- Rise 2004 Sampler (Rise Records, May 2004)
- Track 3: "Given To Dreams of What Shall Never"
- Take Action! Vol. 4 (Sub City Records, September 2004)
- Disc 1, Track 13: "Consequences David, You'll Meet Your Fate In The Styx"
- Equal Vision Winter 2004 Sampler (Equal Vision Records, 2004)
- Track 3: "The State of Texas vs. Fear Before"
- Masters of Horror SoundtrackMasters of Horror (Soundtrack)Masters of Horror is the soundtrack accompanying the television series Masters of Horror. Volume 1 sold over 50,000 copies.-Volume 2 Track listing:...
(Immortal Records, September 2005)- Disc 2, Track 14: "237"
- Equal Vision Warped Tour Sampler (Equal Vision Records, 2006)
- Track 1: "Lycanthropy"
- The Best of Taste of ChaosThe Best of Taste of ChaosThe Best of Taste of Chaos is an album of songs by bands that appeared on the Taste of Chaos tour.-Track listing:...
(Warcon Enterprises, 2006)- Disc 1, Track 17: "Should Have Stayed in the Shallows"
- 2004 Vans Warped Tour Compilation (MCA Records, 2004)
- Disc 2 Track 13: "On the Bright Side, She Could Choke"
- Take Action! Vol. 6 Disc 1 (Sub City Records 2007)
- "Taking Cassandra to the End of the World Party"