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 Death, battery, suicide and Las Vegas purgatory led ESCAPE THE FATE to realise the bitter irony of their name after only one full-length album. Now bassist and chief songwriter MAX GREEN has a chance to truly alter the destiny of his glammy post-hardcore band. ANDREW TIJS reports.
Surely it was playful melodrama that made Escape The Fate name their 2006 debut Dying Is Your Latest Fashion. Yet their emo poster-boy singer Ronnie Radke managed to get into all kinds of trouble with the law, culminating in a fight that led to a shooting death, the suicide of his gunman friend Marcel Colquitt, and probation for Radke after being convicted of battery.
It happened before the release of the album and essentially killed the band’s touring aspirations, as Radke couldn’t legally leave Vegas. After two years of awkward compromise, and a parole violation earlier this year, Escape The Fate were forced to concede that for the band to move on, Radke would have to be replaced.
Although he’s excited about the next phase of the band, a real sense of anguish can be heard as bassist Max Green sighs about “a lot of stuff going on” with their old singer. He shrugs, “Everything happens for a reason, but everything came together at the right time with Ronnie leaving and Craig [Mabbitt of Blessthefall] joining. Where we’re at right now, we couldn’t ask for a better singer and frontman and band.”
Even though Radke was seemed perfect for the band – cheeky, gutter glam, vocally adept and, let’s face it, a pretty little number – it’s surprising how easily Escape The Fate’s fans have seemed to take to the idea of Mabbitt as replacement. “The fact of the matter is that Ronnie was not this band,” Green states with authority. “He and I started this band, but people are going to be really surprised with the outcome. They’re going to say, ‘Damn, they pulled it off, they did it again’.”
Not only did they lose Radke, but rhythm guitarist Omar Espinosa quit on the first week of their Black On Black Tour late last year. “I’m not gonna lie to you,” Green admits, “before we got together with Craig we were thinking ‘what the fuck are we gonna do?’” But Mabbitt has understandably re-energised the band. “He fit in perfectly. It was like that magic all over again.”
Now Escape The Fate have finally seized the opportunity to follow up Dying Is Your Latest Fashion’s inventive take on chart-oriented emo and sleaze rock, and to exorcise the last eighteen months worth of demons. “I took a lot of that emotion and put it into this album,” Green says, but is quick to clarify, “We didn’t by any means write a hate album towards Ronnie at all, but I know on my part personally, he’s the inspiration to the lyrics on a few tracks.”
The band’s cooperative writing style means that the as-yet-untitled new album, due out in October, isn’t a bitter tirade. “We all have something to say,” Green notes, “We all work together to make that song, y’know, perfect.”
AP has already dubbed the album one of their most anticipated for 2008, and Max is supremely confident. “We wanted to step it up with the album and show people that we’re in it to win it, and we’re here to stay,” he says, finding a rhythm, “We don’t want to be stuck in this underground scene. We want to be that band that’s here for the next thirty years.”
ESCAPE THE FATE play the Arena on July 26, supported by A Secret Death and From The Hearts Of Heroes. DYING IS YOUR LATEST FASHION is available through Epitaph/Shock.
1. Written by ashley ^_^, on 03-10-2008 02:58 , IP: 204.9.147.60
 i'm still sad about ronnie b/c he had the best voice and i loved they way he prformed but i'm glad yall can move on but when he get's out i thnk yall should see if he wants back in the band or somethin = )
i love ur band it's my fav. of all and i don't like picking my fav. but it soo is!! |
2. Written by amanda, on 23-10-2008 21:53 , IP: 91.39.109.248
we wont back down
is for ronnie -.-
we wont back down is a lycris in the gullitoine  |
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