Fallen Captive's Brutality Edge

Cleveland, Ohio coreheads Fallen Captive have gotten the fiery passion of metalcore running through not only their blood streams but their veins as well. Thus the "Edge of Collapse" EP demonstrates the intensity and brutality that courses through these guys since day one! Bassist Michael Tata talked to us.

1. So where does a name like Fallen Captive come from and is there a meaning behind it?

Michael: The name was chosen from former bass player, Matt Lampa. We were trying to come up with something that would catch people’s attention and Fallen Captive sparked our interest. We think the name fits well with what we do musically and it has stuck with us ever since.

2. "Edge of Collapse" is your debut EP how does it feel to have it out and about?

Michael: It’s awesome! We’ve had a great response from it so far and we can’t wait to show the world what we have in the works for our next release. (E.O.C. is actually our 2nd EP, we released a 4 song EP in 2010).

3. What does the title "Edge Of Collapse" represent and is it a concept release?

Michael: Edge of Collapse is not a concept release but the name represents a struggle. We all go through struggles every day, whether it’s big or small, but in the end these struggles help us grow and we become stronger. In our writing, our lyrics are about going through a negative situation and making a positive outcome. Our lyrics come from our own personal experiences. Which is why I believe people like them; they are relatable.

4. What are your songs about? (What specific themes do they cover?)

Michael: I guess I kind of covered that with the previous question, but to go more in depth about the songs is that they come from our past relationships and the people who are involved in our life.

5. Do you write your own songs? (Discuss the songwriting process in detail.)

Michael: We absolutely write our own songs. As far as the process goes, our guitarist, Jim, starts the process off with some of the riffs he comes up with. He then brings them to practice and we build off of them. Jay creates his drum parts, Jim and Rob collaborate together with the guitar work, I add my parts for bass, French adds his keys to the mix and Mitch fits his vocal to the music.

6. Who are your musical influences?

Michael: We all have different influences when it comes to our own personal tastes in music, but I think we could agree and say that without Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying, August Burns Red and many more, this band would not exist. I think the fact that we all have different tastes in music helps us with the diversity in our music.

7. Do you have material written for your full-length?

Michael: We just finished filming two music videos that should both be out by the end of the year. Since we are done filming we are currently writing some new material but not enough for a full length just yet. When we put out a full length, we’re going to give you a full length; 60 minutes is the plan. We don’t like to rush our writing process because we want these songs to be the best that they can.

8. How do you describe your music to people?

Michael: Describing our music to people can be challenging at times. We don’t really sound like any other band out there so comparing ourselves to somebody else just isn’t right. We’re considered metalcore but we add a little bit more than your average metalcore band. We definitely have something for everybody who enjoys heavy music.

9. What image do you think your music conveys?

Michael: We would like to think a positive one. Overcoming obstacles is important in our journey through life and hopefully we make people see that through our music; that they can overcome any obstacle that life brings them.

10. You're having two opportunities one to play alongside Born Of Osiris and Unearth while the other is Asking Alexandria, As I Lay Dying, among a ton of others how does this make you feel?

Michael: We’re very excited for both! We’ve played with all 4 of the bands that you just mentioned before and have even gained a personal relationship with some of them. It’s an honor to be playing with some of the biggest bands in the world and some of them that you’ve even looked up to starting our musical journeys. We are definitely looking forward to playing in front of the crowd for both of those shows and looking forward to seeing some of our old friends as well.

11. How do you promote your band and shows?

Michael: Facebook is definitely our primary resource for our promotions. We usually promote through our social networks, with flyers and of course going to other shows and just talking with people.

12. Describe your show, visual and musically for us?

Michael: Our live shows is what makes people turn their heads and say “Who is this?” When you see us perform live, we’re not there to just play you our music, but we’re there to put on a show and make sure everyone is having a good time. Stage presence is so important when putting on a show and if the crowd sees you moving and having a good time, chances are they will be doing the same. With all our personalities on stage, you definitely get a good variety of presence depending on who you are watching. You can expect to see us in our goofy, intense and epic presences. You can typically see me hanging upside down from ceilings while playing, Mitch likes to get carried all the way to the bar to do a shot and then get carried back to the stage, and you can also see us chasing each other around the stage. Come see us at a show and hang out!

13. What inspires you to do what you do?

Michael: This has probably been the easiest question so far haha. What inspires us to keep doing what we’re doing is, without a doubt our fans. Without our fans we are absolutely nothing and I can’t express or even put into words to tell you the feeling that these people bring to us. It’s a privilege every time we get to play on stage and whether it’s 5 or 500 people, we are going to give you all that we have!

14. What advice would you give to fellow bands?

Michael: Keep doing what you love and always have fun! Being in a band is a lot of work and very expensive, but it’s worth every single penny and second!

15. Remaining plans for the rest of this year are what?

Michael: Our plans for the rest of the year include writing new material, playing some awesome shows like Born of Osiris and Asking Alexandria, releasing two music videos and also giving back to our fans with a special show we will be announcing soon.

16. Is that your final answer?

Michael: No, this is! ;) Thanks so much for doing the interview with us! If you are reading this and haven’t heard of us before, please check us out! It truly means the world to us if you do!