Horror metalcore band Fear My Name give us a taste of their new towering, orchestral, and melodic sound with their single "Fear St." inspired by the R.L. Stine book series Fear Street, part of a new upcoming EP.
Like a malignant paranormal entity, the combination of horror and rock music existed in a parallel universe to the rest of the music world and has now taken over. Frighteningly engaging and in a class all its own, due in part to how well the mechanics mesh together, some bands have decided to ignore the typical workings and classisms of the metalcore music industry, and have chosen to craft something different from the usual compositions at play.
“The writing process for this song was the most fun and effortless it’s ever been. It was amazing to go back and read the books, watch the movie series, and take notes on topics covered in the song. The song was intended to capture the empathy of the victims in the story, but also to show the brutality of the individual killers by referencing quotes and scenes from the books and shows.”
Impressively, this unique stance has grown tenfold, and over the last few years constructed another way in which art and music can change the way rock music can flourish. Bands like Fear My Name clearly have long understood this concept and are bringing it to the forefront with their latest single, "Fear St."
Inspired by the R.L Stine book series Fear Street, Fear My Name manifests titanic riffs, melodic synths, and a massive multi-layered vocal cadence to create an otherworldly, heavy experience. If this is a taste of what Fear My Name is bringing to the table with their new EP, chances are we are in for one large treat for their next release this Halloween.
What started Fear My Name? What inspired the name?
Nate: Fear My Name started back in 2019 when our debut single, “Dead and Dirty,” was released. Me (Nate) and Trent had been friends for a while via Facebook and Instagram. We decided to merge our two bands from high school and created what is now known as the band. We were both inspired by an Australian metal band called Make Them Suffer heavily at the time. We were listening to their track “Chronicles,” off the Neverbloom album where the intro line of the song was “Fear My Name”. We decided then after cycling through multiple different band names that Fear My Name was a perfect fit capturing our aesthetic, influences at the time, and sound.
What are your music influences? I know there was a change of sound between your album Vileblood and your newest single, "Fear St.?"
We have a wide variety of influences, spanning most subgenres of metal and genres outside of metal. Make Them Suffer, Sworn In, The Black Dahlia Murder, Korn, Bullet for my Valentine to name a few, this list could go on forever. The change of sound to "Fear St." was a natural progression for us as every single before it experimented with different styles.
What was the creative process like for this new single? I know other bands are creatively meshing these two aspects into their genres more and more day by day. But from your experience, what has that experience been like making the shift and writing from that perspective?
Trent: The creative process for this single was probably simpler than it’s ever been. As I (Trent) wrote the instrumental before handing the song off to Nate to write lyrics. We generally brainstorm ideas together, then established the topic. We had dived into writing from the perspectives of movies or video games in the past. So, the experience was familiar. This time, it just felt like we nailed it a lot more “on the head” than we had before in the past.
What made you want to take on writing lyrically from this point from R.L Stine's work of Fear Street? I think you guys did a great job taking the material from the books and putting it into a single. It captures what this series is about in so many ways. While this is very much a horror/supernatural series in its own right, we can also say it's a story based on empathy. The real monsters are those who don't spare empathy for the innocent. This ultimately leads to what we experience in the books.
Nate: As kids, we grew up reading Goosebumps and Fear Street. So, from a young age, it was always appealing to us. One day Trent sent the instrumental for "Fear St." to me (Nate). At the time, I was watching the 3-part movie series on Netflix about the books Fear Street. I listened to the instrumental and immediately felt that the books and movie series would be a perfect topic for the song. The writing process for this song was the most fun and effortless it’s ever been. It was amazing to go back and read the books, watch the movie series, and take notes on topics covered in the song. The song was intended to capture the empathy of the victims in the story, but also to show the brutality of the individual killers by referencing quotes and scenes from the books and shows.
When it comes to change as a band, an evolution stems from that. What have you taken from this change on a personal level as an artist?
Nate: I would say the change in our sound has been a gradual progression. Every song from our first single onward has developed different elements that culminated into what you hear in "Fear St."
From the more intense and guitar riff-heavy sections of songs like "Left To Die" and "Counting the Caskets," to the more catchy-chorus style in "Dreamless," "The Kingdom of Glass," "Nothing/Nothing," etc.
We can say we have taken growth into account from this, relief to try experimental things, and which type of songs our fans generally enjoy hearing from us.
What is next for you guys?
Moving forward, We have a new EP and more singles on the way, both movie-inspired songs and other concepts entirely. Possibly even a new music video? Our next release is planned for this Halloween.