Known for its aggressive sound and dark yet hopeful lyrics, Fades Away has been conspicuously absent from the scene for the last several years. Having landed licensing deals which led to exposure on CBS’s NFL and NCAA sportscasts and elsewhere, it seemed the world was their oyster. But life circumstances diverted the band’s course and left hungry fans clamoring for more. After two marriages, a change in lineup and a side project or two, the veteran Alternative Metal band is now back in the studio working on brand new material.
Fades Away’s current lineup includes original members David Erickson, bassist Steve Daniels, drummer Matt Mahlen and newcomer, guitarist Brett Verlennich, who debuted with the band on 2013’s single ‘Creature.’ The band’s breakthrough album, “Perceptions,” was produced by Pillar guitarist Noah Henson and featured lush orchestration a la RED, Apocalyptica and Break Of Reality.The band began to distance itself from that sound on ‘Creature,’ a song which flew under the radar for most fans of the band but recently gained some traction at radio. Dave Erickson explains, ‘due to the recent interest of ‘Creature,’ we felt it was time for us to get together and work on new material. We’ve been hinting at it for quite some time but just wanted to let the fans know that it’s definitely going down now. We are committed to completing the EP and getting the full project out sometime this coming winter.’
Joining forces with Josh Stoll, engineer of 2011’s critically acclaimed album, “Perceptions,” as well as Pop Punk band Summertime Dropouts and other indie up-and-comers, remnants of Fades Away are working on ‘The Rose,’ a song which explores the depravity of human nature. While details remain somewhat vague, sources from within the label have confirmed that the single will release July 14th while the band continues to work on a 5-6 song EP tentatively slated to release sometime this coming winter on Voluminous Records.
Lyrics for ‘The Rose’ continue the Fades Away tradition of exploring the darker side of spirituality, namely the struggle between Good and Evil. Vocalist/lyricist David Erickson describes the track as ‘a song about temptation and separation from God.’ He elaborates, ‘I’m using the imagery of a rose – such a beautiful thing, but also sharp and jagged. As humans, we’re attracted to that which we perceive to be beautiful. We grab hold of this beauty only to find out it’s often not what it seemed. It was all deception. We then look back and wonder how we got where we are and wonder how we’re supposed to find our way back out of the darkness?’ While not quite as aggressive as their 2013 single, ‘Creature,’ ‘The Rose’ still delivers a heavy, crushing blow which will, as the lyrics promise, “squeeze you right down to the bone.”
