FEAR BEFORE THE MARCH OF FLAMES has become FEAR BEFORE and will release a self-titled album on October 28th. FEAR BEFORE was recorded with producer Casey Bates in Seattle, WA this past summer. Bates also produced the band’s 2006 release, The Always Open Mouth, as well as label-mates’ CHIODOS’ Bone Palace Ballet.

Regarding the name change, guitarist ADAM FISHER jokes, “It gets so tiring repeating ‘Fear Before The March Of Flames’ over and over again to old lady gas station attendants in Nebraska” but adds, “Mostly because in so many ways, we’re a new band.” Bassist Mike Madruga explains the long version of the name was a personal challenge to the members. Now that they feel they've met the challenge, it's time to get down to the roots of the band. “The long version of the name was good for us in the beginning because it was interesting and stood out. It paralleled our mentality of playing the music we were writing because we told ourselves, 'If we can pull off having this name, we had better be able to pull off the music we were writing.' The new album is 10 strong songs, no fillers or tag-ons... and we want the band name to replicate that.”

The decision for a self-titled album seemed like a no-brainer. “It is essentially the same reasons as the name change. We want it to be identified by its songs,” says Madruga. The songs certainly do reflect the new FEAR BEFORE. “Lyrically, this record is the most positive material we have done. It is a written history of all the emotions we have experienced through the course of the band's 6 years.” Fisher adds, “A lot of it has to do with sticking around through all the hard times we've endured as a band. It's about growth and making mistakes but dealing with them instead of dwelling on them.”

Musically, FEAR BEFORE stays to their claim that they will never make the same record twice. “It's more concise, a hard hitter. It's still dark like Mouth and cynical like Art Damage but it takes different elements from both and expands on them.” One of the most noticeable differences on FEAR BEFORE is the vocals. “I don't know how it happened or when he decided he can sing, but he can and quite well,” Fisher jokes of vocalist, David Marion. However, Marion's voice isn't the only one on the record: guest vocals include The Fall Of Troy, Heavy Heavy Low Low and Portugal. The Man.