Discovering the Magic of Fall of Damascus: Band Insights

• Is there a specific moment when you realized you had something special together as a band?

The most specific moment I had when I realized we had something special was the after the first month of getting all of us together we played Cortex and after the first time we fully got it together I felt a click in my head like “oh yea this is so sick” and we kept that same energy every time we play a show and it keeps getting better and better the more we play. (Maxx, Rinkus)

What is the best part of working with each other, and what makes your band unique?

The best part of working with each other is the chemistry/energy we share together, and the way that energy and power shatters the core of a listener and I feel like especially in “smashing” in the breakdown | always feel the chemistry and energy of head banging in sync with each other and it always hits a sweet spot ever time (Maxx, Rinkus)

What Was the first song you wrote as a band, and how did it come about?

The first Fall of Damascus song is Cortex, I remember I was in class and John told me he was looking for a heavy metal band and I said “Yea man let’s do a jam session” and the first song was cortex, it’s been the bands favorite starting song it’s the song that shows what Fall of Damascus is and what we sound like and the energy we’re giving to the audience (Maxx, Rinkus)

Are there any Nonmusical Inspirations (such as art, books, or experiences) that influence your music?

When it comes to writing music, specifically when I write riffs, there is always an atmosphere that I tend to like to have in mind. And I have always found that both movies and comic books always tend to help me find that atmosphere that I’m looking for. I also think that these other mediums can help influence the way a story is told through music. Since music is not a visual media, I find a lot of enjoyment in trying to find out how to convey the same things without being able to see any of it. (Jabin, Rodas)

What’s your favorite part about performing live, and how to you engage with you audience

My favorite part about performing live is the adrenaline rush that hits when I get to see people in the crowd enjoying our music and going crazy by moshing or headbanging or anything else of the sort. When it comes to engaging with the crowd, I really like to feed off of their energy. So, of a crowd gives me some really good energy I tend to reciprocate it more by running around more, hitting my bass strings a little harder and even throwing out more picks into the crowd whenever I can. However, my personal favorite thing to do is play to certain people in the crowd. Sometimes I will go over to people that are either looking at me or recording around my general location and I will play directly to them because it makes me feel like there is a stronger connection between me and the audience and I love seeing their faces light up whenever I come over to do that. (Jabin, Rodas)

If each member of the band were superheroes, what would their superpowers be?

If we were all superheroes, Maxx would definitely have The Thing type powers from Fantastic Four-strong as hell, solid, unbreakable, and always holding it down when it really matters.

John’s kind of a wild card. I could see him with Cyclops optic blasts from the X-Men all focus, precision, and control. But at the same time, he could just as easily have Captain America abilities, tossing the shield around, bouncing it off everything, and having it snap right back like it’s second nature.

Jabin’s a tough one too, but I’d probably go with Frozone from The Incredibles. I can totally picture him controlling ice and gliding around effortlessly—it just matches his energy.

Ben’s the hardest to pin down, but Shazam fits best. As the lead guitar player, he can instantly flip the switch and tap into this magical, unhinged state—pure chaos in the best way—creating a larger-than-life experience for anyone watching.

And as for me, I’d probably be Batman not feeling superpowered in the traditional sense, but always there, supporting the team, filling in the gaps, and making sure things hold together when it counts. (Isaiah, Jackson)

Who are the main songwriters, and what influences your songwriting Process?

John and I are the primary songwriters in the band. John typically starts by composing and arranging the core guitar parts, then builds out the track with additional instruments and embellishments. Once he shares that with me, I spend time sitting with the music— sometimes for just a few minutes, other times much longer—really absorbing the mood and direction of the piece.

He’ll usually give me a general concept or theme to write about, and from there I develop the lyrics and vocal ideas. Once we have that foundation, we bring the song to the rest of the band so everyone can contribute their own ideas and put their personal spin on it. That collaborative step helps shape the final version and ensures the song reflects the whole group. (Isaiah, Jackson)

What are some of your musical influences, and how do they shape your style?

Some of our musical influences span from all across the metal scene. Most notable ones being Lamb of God, Gojira, Pantera, Slayer, and Metallica. We use these influences to help us with inspiration whether it be the structure of a song, the riffs, or even what the song is about. Our riffs bounce between groove to early 80s thrash to then odd time rhythms/ licks all to combine our own original sound. (Ben, Biddle)

What’s your tour wish list, or is there a venue or city you dream of playing in?

I definitely think England or Germany would be one of the coolest places to play due to the culture and how in love those countries are with the metal scene, but specific venue would have to be Red Rocks Amphitheater, one of the coolest looking venues and due to the layout, you get a crazy soundscape created by nature! (Ben, Biddle)

• What’s been you most memorable recording experience so far?

I would have to say the most memorable recording experience I have so far is our first recordings together as band at (Ronin Music Studio) out in San Deigo, where I got to see two of our very talented members, Maxx an exceptional percussionist who plays the most interesting and exciting drum fills with straight precision/timing and Jackson our Vocalist with energy to match and a voice that just slices through a mix, just kill it together in studio with upmost drive, dedication, productivity, and skillset that really sets them apart. (John Clark)

What would success look like for you as a band?

What success looks like as a band for me is being able to make a living playing amazing shows with my friends all over the world and sharing our music with everyone. (John, Clark)

What do you want people to feel when they see your live performances?

We want to provide excitement, energy and an outlet for whatever people may be going through in life and for people to just come out hang with friends and have a good time. (John Clark)