Fallen Icon are a three piece band from Malta that are doing a mini tour of Scotland (Glasgow 21st July at Ivory Blacks and Edinburgh 22nd July at The Banshee Labyrinth). I caught up with the band recently and they very kindly answered my questions, informing us all that Malta has a strong metal scene where there are many metal festivals and big bands touring the country.
For fans of Gojira, Mastadon, Dying Fetus and groove laden thrash/death metal.
Here is what Fallen Icon had to say…
Can you tell us Moshville Times readers how you got the band together and give a history of the band?
It all started in 2011 when Chris and Konrad, knowing each other from other bands, met and decided to start a new project. The idea was to start something along the lines of modern thrash and groove metal. A few months later Clive ed on bass duties, and from there we got ourselves busy jamming and experimenting to find our own style. With a handful of songs written, we started taking part in local gigs and festivals, with the band taking on more death metal influences over time. In 2015, we decided it was time to put our songs out there and released our debut EP North of Nowhere.
Being an even smaller country than Scotland, I imagine that Malta may have a similar issue about spreading the word for a band like Fallen Icon? How difficult is it to get the word spread around and promote yourselves?
On the contrary, being such a small community makes it easier to build a relationship with music lovers and other bands. The scene is quite small, however it is very ionate, with gigs gathering decent crowds. In the last couple of years, a number of promoters started cropping up, which has helped further the scene and also in attracting foreign bands to the island (so far uncommon on the island).
What is the metal scene like in Malta? What are the venues like for playing?
For a small country, we do have a very active scene with a good number of local bands, some of which also made a name abroad such as Beheaded, Forsaken and Abysmal Torment. We’re quite limited with the number of venues, many of which closed down in the last few years, but thanks to the initiative of some ionate people, others have opened up specifically with the intention of hosting live bands. We’ve also got our share of annual festivals which attract good crowds and also people from abroad.
How often is the band able to get together and rehearse and what are the facilities in Malta like for studios and recording?
We try to meet at least twice a week having our personal practice space – a one car garage secluded in a humid underground amongst more garages in Marsa. Practice sessions vary between song writing, rehearsing for shows and deep conversations on the Illuminati! When it comes to recording, we’re quite lucky that some musicians invested in their own studios, using their own experience to produce quality material. We’d like to give a shout out to Steve Lombardo for doing an excellent job on our EP. You’re the man!!
You seem to have a pretty stable line up for a while now. What would you say is the secret for keeping that foundation?
There’s no secret. We are more than just band ‘colleagues’, we are also close friends that each other and share great times. During the songwriting process, which sometimes is quite stressful, all of us contribute with ideas, but having a similar vision of where the band should be heading helps minimize friction between us. Still we have our own disagreements, but we always manage to work around them due to the dedication and commitment of every member.
You released an EP in 2015 called North of Nowhere and it’s full of groove laden thrash/death metal. How has the EP been received and reviewed as a whole?
North of Nowhere is a concept album based on the physical and spiritual journey of a sea captain. Having a theme to work with helped us during the songwriting process. Our idea was also to replicate the energy of our live shows onto the EP, and therefore we wanted to work closely with someone who knew our sound when we played live. The general has been quite positive, and this has given us the drive to work harder on newer material.
As the EP was released two years ago now, how would you say that any new material is sounding compared to that of the EP?
The EP helped us define our sound to a certain degree. The new songs are being built on the same foundation of the EP whilst exploring new sounds and song structures. Like North of Nowhere, we are basing our song writing around a new concept, setting a darker and sludgier tone, and using ominous samples to add a new dimension to the music.
What opportunities have you had to the major bands that come to Malta and play? What has been your most memorable gig?
We’ve played on a number of local festivals, mainly with a local lineup, with the most memorable one being on a boat party, anchored next to Comino, the smallest island of the archipelago. Clive, like the (in)experienced sailor that he is, got sea sick on the way back to Malta, swearing at the Gods of the Sea. Chris and Konrad were too drunk to care.
Also, we’re playing a festival in August where the headliners will be the great Entombed and Vader, so we’re really looking forward to that!
Fallen Icon are coming to Glasgow Friday 21st July and Edinburgh Saturday 22 July. What will the Scottish metalhead expect to see at a Fallen Icon show?
We see metal shows as a way of transmitting energy and power to the crowd through our performance. It’s not about hitting every note perfectly, but more about giving an adrenaline rush to everyone. Our set list will include the heaviest songs from the EP and the new stuff from our album. It will be utter carnage!
I see on one of your youtube videos that you cover Gojira’s “Backbone” which is my all time favourite song from them. How big are Gojira an influence on your sound and who else would you say are your influences?
Yes, “Backbone” seems to be a fan favourite whenever we play it live. Gojira is one of our common influences, mainly due to their heavy sound, complex riff structures, as well as their unorthodox approach to song writing. But still, every band member has his own musical background. Chris comes mainly from a background of thrash and groove metal, such as Pantera and Slayer. Konrad is heavily influenced by death metal such as Suffocation and Dying Fetus, whilst Clive listens more to progressive metal. Another band that seems to have influenced us all in of sound and ideas is Mastodon. All these various components help mould and define the Fallen Icon sound.
So what does the rest of 2017 hold for the band touring and recording wise?
Well, for the rest of the year we will be focussing on writing more material for the album. Local festivals and gigs are also on the table. In the meantime, we are in discussions with organisers of various festivals around Europe for 2018, so keep your eyes peeled for any new dates.
A fun question to end this interview. If you were a DJ and were allowed to bring 5 CDs to the party, what would they be?
In the right kind of party…
- Gojira – The Way of All Flesh
- Mastodon – Leviathan
- Dying Fetus – Destroy the Opposition
- Krokodil – Nachash
- Opeth – Watershed
Any last message for our readers here at Moshville Times?
We’re looking forward to see how we’ll go down with the amazing people of Scotland! Also, why is Haggis so good? Seriously…
In Glasgow, comes from recent Heavy Scotland performers Lucifers Corpus and Largs-based band Unbeliever who play their first ever show, with one more band to be announced. Edinburgh details will follow shortly. Let’s give these Maltese metal brothers a damn fine turnout and a show to !
For promoters who wish to the band for future shows, please email: [email protected]
Fallen Icon: facebook
