Interview with Fallstaf bassist Ben Forte

Check out the song: “Eulogy”

Ben Forte, bassist for the Canadian metal band Fallsaf, took a moment to speak with me about the band’s newest release, Bastard Sons Of A Pure Breed. If you haven’t heard these guys yet you really need to check them out, if for no other reason than just to find out what “Pure Brass Metal” really is. What you’ll find is a solid metal record with a (brutally brass) trombone thrown prominently into the mix. This is unlike anything I have heard, but trust me it works and it works well. Here’s what Forte had to say.

Tell me about your new CD, Bastard Sons Of A Pure Breed?
Ben: We are very excited for this project to finally come to bare. It’s 11 songs of pure brass metal! These songs define us and are typically Montreal. We are looking forward to the launch and are very anxious to share our very distinct sound with you all.

Are you happy with the way it turned out?
Ben: Yes, of course! We spent countless hours in the studio making sure everything sounded just the way we wanted it and working at defining our very unique sound. It wasn’t always easy, but very gratifying in the end. Working with Kevin Jardine (Slaves On Dope) allowed us to try lots of different things while recording. He’s a real pro and a very charming boy!

What was the writing process like for this CD? Did you guys all write together? How long did it take?
Ben: At first no, I started with Matt (drummer) on 4 or 5 songs. We were being booked more and more so we needed more songs to lengthen our set. We had a lot of material and it turned into a group affair after that. Mike (co-lyricist) and I had to work quickly on lyrics and it took about a year or so to make sure all the songs the way we wanted them.

I have never heard or seen a heavy band with a trombone player in it. How did that come about? Are people a bit taken aback when they find out there is a trombonist in the band?
Ben: Neither have I! It wasn’t something we were necessarily specific about doing, we didn’t go around looking for a trombone player to add to our metal just so we could say we sounded different from everybody else. The way it is that Iann, “The Hitman,” and I have been playing music together for about twenty years. It’s not even a big deal for us anymore, it just comes naturally. It’s also important to know that we all play in our other band North East Bistro where “The Hitman” plays his trombone and his trumpet. We always felt that a brass section adds a lot of texture and emotions to our songs.

What is the meaning behind the title?
Ben: It came to me while driving back from a day of recording. I was so excited I had to park the car to write it down, I then called Kevin to see what he thought about it and his answer was “awesome!” It wanted to make a powerful contrast between our dual personalities as they are both very different.

Debut albums really define a band. Making a strong first impression is crucial, especially in Metal. What did you feel were the most important things to include on this album?
Ben: Pictures and words, we didn’t want to be noticed just by our sound, but also by our look and our lyrics. We have something to say, where we come from and who we are as people and it is a sin not to have lyrics in an album jacket.

Check out the song: “The Cost”

If you had not become a musician what other career path would you have liked to attempt?
Ben: Probably something artistic; we are a very creative group of guys chasing one project after another. To be able to share that creativity with others that need it is very gratifying.

What three words best describe your band?
Ben: PURE BRASS METAL.

What kind of touring plans do you have in support of the record?
Ben: Big things are in the works for 2012. For now though, we’re finishing the year with two big shows and fully intend on returning to the stage in January, but we are not adverse to answering calls.

What is next for Fallstaf?
Ben: We’re filming a third video in early December, an acoustic version of “My Demons.” For this we will be enrolling the services of the girls from North East Bistro (our other personality) as we will be filming it live without any score in the background. It’s David Méliès, our director’s idea and he specializes in this more intimate approach. Believe it or not, we will also be at work on our next album as we have a fairly large backlog of material to get at.