top of page

BLESSTHEFALL: A Decade of Impact and Resilience in the Metalcore Scene



Buried in the walls of Irving Plaza this past Friday, mosh pits grew from one side of the venue to the other in celebration of a decade of Hollow Bodies by metalcore band, blessthefall. Union Square’s Irving Plaza kicked off the weekend with mosh pits and crowd surfing to honor Hollow Bodies in New York City. The venue was overtaken by the screams and crowd killing of fans spilling their hearts out to every single track off the album released just over ten years ago. If there’s one thing that’s certain, blessthefall has stood the test of time in the industry and their supporters' adoration, even after all these years, proves how significant blessthefall’s influence has been on the scene.


Originating in 2004, blessthefall was founded by guitarist Mike Frisby, drummer Matt Traynor, and bassist/vocalist Jared Warth in Phoenix, Arizona. A little while after forming the group, blessthefall released their debut album which charted at number 32 on U.S. Billboard Heatseekers. In 2008, the band made the conscious decision to initiate Beau Bolan as the lead vocalist, adding further dimension to the hardcore music. Nowadays, the only original member remaining is Jared Wrath, however, the complexity and individuality of the ensemble has not changed in the slightest. In 2012, blessthefall announced their fourth studio album entitled Hollow Bodies which just recently celebrated its ten-year anniversary on August 20th. The album received immense appreciation in the music scene upon its release, selling over 20,000 copies in its first week and charting in the top twenties list of Billboard 200. The album marked the start of massive success for blessthefall and became a legendary album within the screamo genre. In 2020, the members of blessthefall decided to step away from music, leaving fans devastated and certain the band were officially broken up. Blessthefall’s return for the anniversary of Hollow Bodies marks their first appearance as a band after 3 years of a hiatus and fans are ecstatic to hear new music as well as welcome the members back to stages across North America.


Blessthefall welcomed the weekend in Manhattan with a boisterous setlist and a performance oozing with vigor. A line formed outside Irving Plaza hours before the event started and wrapped around the block even after doors had already opened. Listeners had been waiting three years to hear from blessthefall again and their return was undoubtedly unforgettable. Our night with blessthefall began with an entire run-through of Hollow Bodies from the opening track to the closing beat. Nostalgia was heavy in the air as fans belted out all of the words to every single song. I remember first listening to this album in my childhood bedroom as a middle schooler, hearing the live renditions played along to the sound of penetrating voices from fans was overall a core memory for someone who grew up on blessthefall. The band has evolved tremendously and Hollow Bodies was even more spectacular live then when I first heard it at 11-years-old. All in all, the event was packed in with loyal die-hard fans who have been following the band since the beginning of their time in the industry and this ultimately made the show feel intimate despite the masses in attendance. Furthermore, blessthefall has such an interactive set, there is obviously no disconnect between the artists on stage and their fan base. Although it’s been over a decade of blessthefall, there is still a genuine connection between the members and the supporters which is expressed in the way the crowd interacts with the artists and vice versa. Beau is a phenomenal performer as well as vocalist and he made sure the crowd stayed engaged through each song by jumping into the mosh pits or holding onto the hands of crowd surfers as they passed by. The adrenaline in Irving Plaza persisted through the entire event, fans fed off the energy of the performers and moshed their way through even the encore. I have truly never seen Irving Plaza be so rowdy for an entire concert as it was the other night for blessthefall. The set ended with a three song encore consisting of songs from the bands first releases which fans absolutely adored hearing again.


Blessthefall have finally made their return and metalcore listeners are relishing every second of it. From hardcore breakdowns with melodic verses woven into intense, fast-tempo drum rolls, blessthefall are one of the top-runners in the genre and we are so glad they’ve decided to release music again after their three year hiatus. We look forward to what’s next to come from blessthefall. Welcome the band back into the scene through the links below and be the first to know about future updates!



Photographs by: Sabrina Amoriello

Article by: Sabrina Amoriello

UPCOMING:

larry-june-profile-2018-mn-800x445.jpeg

Larry June at the Commodore Ballroom

death cab.jpeg

Death Cab for Cutie at Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver

a boogie with da hoodie.webp

A Boogie with da Hoodie, UBC Thunderbird Arena, Vancouver

cub sport.webp

Cub Sport at Biltmore Cabaret, Vancouver

boygenius.jpeg

Boygenius at Budweiser Stage, Toronto

MORE MUSIC REVIEWS & INTERVIEWS:

bottom of page