Talvi Interviews Gabriel Luis From Fallen Martyr

Talvi: Let’s begin with the roots of Fallen Martyr. How did the band start?

Gabriel: I started the band with Douglas (bass guitar) back in 2004, we were about 16 years old. At the time we were known as Last Horizon. About a year later, after some line up changes we decided to change our name to Fallen Martyr in 2005. We were just two kids who wanted to play heavy metal basically, and stuck with it until all the correct pieces fell in place with Ryan, Jake and recently 2nd guitarist Joe Martin. The vibe and synergy within the band is great, the best it has ever been actually.

Talvi:  What has influenced the band’s style, and how would you define Fallen Martyr’s music?

Gabriel: It’s hard for me to describe us myself, and the influences are all over the place. Obviously, at the end of the day we are a “heavy metal” band. I would rather describe us by what we try to produce sonically rather than what “genres” we fall into. We strive to produce a sound that is Dark , Melodic, aggresive, beautiful, Dynamic and captivating. Not only do the lyrics have a story, we strive for the music to do so as well. We are Fallen Martyr…that’s the only way I can define us. We will leave the genre-tagging to the listeners.

Talvi: Der Metal Krieger had the honor of reviewing your upcoming album, Shadows, before it hits stores on May 29th. I have to say, I fell in love with the album. How do fans and other media feel about it?

Gabriel: Thanks, we truly appreciate the kind words and support! We have gotten feedback from a few other sources and all have been great as well. The best part is that the key points discussed are all pretty similar, and that consistency to us is an accomplishment.  We understand that not everyone will be into what you do, but so far it’s all been positive. As far as the fans go, that remains to be seen. We will have to sit back and see what the response is in the coming months.

Talvi: I remember you telling me in an email that Shadows is a concept album. What is the whole theme, and how did the band come up with it?

Gabriel: Ryan actually came up with the concept, and he met we me prior to beginning the writing process for SHADOWS. The concept is influenced heavily by Carl Jung’s ”Shadow aspect” philosophy. We all have the ability to be benevolent as to be malicious and evil. The theme follows a man/prophet who was beloved and  admired by his followers, but to have great power you must also have discipline, and his darkness engulfs him and he becomes an embodiment of evil. That’s just a literal explanation, but for the fans who like to decipher meanings to songs, there are many figurative meanings as well as parallels between what the character represents and the real world itself.

Talvi: You guys opened up at the Baltimore show for Paganfest America Part III, one hell of a performance by the way. How did you feel about playing at a festival with huge names in the Pagan metal genre such as Arkona and Turisas?

Gabriel: Thank you! It was a GREAT show and we were honored to be sharing the stage with such a great tour package.

Talvi: Aside from touring, what do you guys like to do in your spare time?

Gabriel: We all work right now, and getting SHADOWS as much exposure is the #1 priority. We haven’t toured since before we began writing SHADOWS and are currently working on getting things set back up. To those reading this, please buy our album or check us out, all that stuff matters when it comes to touring opportunities.

Talvi: Any funny/interesting moments that the band has had?

Gabriel: We got to meet Ronnie James Dio’s wife in LA a few years ago. That was pretty cool!

Talvi: Do you have any last words to say to fans at Der Metal Krieger?

Gabriel: Der Metal Kriger and Talvi, you guys rock and what you do is great! For everyone else, thanks for reading and get yourself a copy of SHADOWS!

Talvi: Thank you for your time, and see you at Shredfest!