Fallujah was recently touring Europe and I was able to catch up with Scott Carstairs at Brutal Assault before they headed back to the states for their North American tour. We had the chance to sit down and talk about Alex‘s departure, and their last album “Dreamless” that was released on April 29, 2016 through their label Nuclear Blast.
I am sitting here wth Scott Carstairs, how are you today?
I am doing pretty good thank you.
To any of our readers out there who may not be familiar with Fallujah, how would you describe your music?
Ummm, It’s definitely not just metal, it’s more diverse, atmospheric. It’s supposed to be an album that you put on and after you finish listening to it you’re like “Damn, I got to restart this because there is a bunch of stuff I might have missed”. It’s supposed to be multi-layered. Its something I want people to put on their headphones and get lost in the music. The platform we work in is intense music, it’s metal but within that we are trying to make people feel things.
How did Alex’s departure come to you as a band, and was this expected?
Was it expected, well it slowly came to point where it was time for him. He wanted to move on and being the band that we are, we just accepted what he wanted to do and we supported him. It was Alex and I that started the band in high school, we were like 16, so it was 10 years and it was getting to point where he could see the path ahead and maybe he didn’t want to go on that path.
What type of vocalist are you looking for to replace Alex?
For certain bands the vocals are the main part of the band, but I think our band is about taking 5 musicians and putting them together and making the most out of everyone. So it’s not one of those things where one person outweighs the other. So when we try to find a replacement we are going to try to find someone that molds with us and takes us to the next level. I would want this new person to change the music slightly, but no too much, and use that as an opportunity to grow.
What is your writing process like when you are making a new album?
It really is just, you know, sometimes its just me alone with my computer or sitting on my couch working on a riff. Then you take that riff and you put it in the computer and you start adding all the other stuff to it, and slowly growing from that. Every session is different.
Do lyrics come first, or music when making a new album?
The past albums definitely was like I finished the record and then was like, put your stuff now, but that can always change. I think it’s really important to have words that really match the emotions of the music. Our music is not really about intensity and aggression. These are things I really like about other bands, but if I am talking about our music it’s more about the melody and vibe of the music. Making sure the tones are right and stuff that gets stuck in your head not in a way that’s like shallow. A riff won’t make it on to the album if I don’t feel something when I play it. It has to feel right not only to me, but to the band. The music represents us.
Do you see a difference in fans between Europe and the States?
I think there is definitely a huge difference, I mean obviously we don’t have any festivals like this in America. I mean just rolling into town today and seeing the entire town being taken over by Brutal Assault that’s pretty crazy (laughs). Like there is a couple of people in our crew that have never been to Europe or to these festivals and their minds are blown. (laughs) So as an American it’s pretty intense, and you know it too. It’s like a circus these festivals, because you can play at 9 in the morning and it will be filled up.
Any thing you would like to say to our readers?
Keep paying attention because we got more albums to come, and we are going to keep coming to all your countries so we are not going to stop.
