Arms For Elephants

Post-hardcore outfit Arms for Elephants has a debut album dropping today, and HM is proud to premiere the exclusive stream. My Judas Scene is the band’s first full-length release; the Mankato, MN band put out a debut EP, Identities, in 2014.

HM spoke with guitarist and vocalist Fletch Archerd about the release:

“Our debut full-length album, My Judas Scene, is an intensely personal album, and we’re extremely excited to finally be able to share it with the world. We strive to make music that is therapeutic, and that means writing lyrics that are honest and vulnerable. In a scene that’s both amazing and often overly generic, this is just sincere music with a cause.” - hmmagazine.com

When you think post-hardcore, what comes to mind? Is it energetic, angst-ridden lyrics? Is it the heavy, yet somehow pop-influenced nature of the music? Perhaps it’s driving rhythm sections and soaring melodies? Well, few bands out there have done it right over the past few years. I’m here to tell you that Minnesota’s Arms For Elephants has all of that and more. One of the first bands I’ve seen with a truly original sound in the genre in years, their music is relatable, is heavy when it needs to be and, most of all, you’ll find it stuck in your head for days! Their debut album My Judas Scene is, quite honestly, an album that took me some time to get into. After all, with all of the bands releasing music in the genre these days, you expect a cookie-cutter sound right off the bat, am I right? That’s why I was completely taken aback to learn that they are anything but! My Judas Scene is an album that I could see being extremely popular in the mid 00s when post-hardcore/metalcore was really on top. It has a nostalgic feel to it, heralding back to the days when we saw bands like A Skylit Drive, Thursday and A Bullet For Pretty Boy at the top of their game.

The thing about this album is that it finds a way to keep you interested and stay relevant during a time where the genre has been overrun by autotune, electronics and the same old boring breakdowns. The dynamic between primary vocalist Matt Evans and guitarist/vocalist Fletch Archerd is absolutely breathtaking. Especially when you have songs like “In Memory,” which touch on the subject of loss and are meant to really pull at the listener’s heart strings. The layers on top of it, especially in that song, make it truly stand out. What I wasn’t expecting, though, was how heavy this band can be. The first time the opening to “In Faith and Doubt” hit me… I had to double check that I was still listening to the same band! It just goes to show how diverse a band can be, ranging from the subtle nuances of a ballad to full-blown aggression in a split second. Within that same song, though, they can take it down to a more alternative rock level, changing up the pace and really throwing the listener for a loop. One of my favorite tracks on the album is “O, Complacent Heart” because it’s incredibly melodic but still has an edge. What you might not realize at first, though, is that this track has strong religious overtones to it. This track has an amazing solo and when Evans screams out “Where’s your anger? Where’s your urgency?,” as Archerd is heard in the background singing “when all I fear is you, what can man do to me?” I get chills every time. This is a song about finding your sense of purpose, being at your worst but realizing that there is always God standing right there with you. They’re letting you know that as long as you are a god-fearing person, you can get through anything that life throws at you.

I’m not going to sit here and say that this album is perfect. After all, it is a debut. It’s still very pristine and naive but it has the band well on their way. There’s plenty of variety, a ton of replay value and a message to take away from each song. If this review has you intrigued, do yourself a favor and go pick up your copy of My Judas Scene out now, using the links below! Check out the lyric video for “The Laws That Guide My Feet” below for a taste. - new-transcendence.com

Hailing from Minneapolis, MN, Arms For Elephants is an energetic post-hardcore band that just released their debut full-length album, My Judas Scene.

The band “focuses on writing lyrics and music that are meant to resonate in your heart. If you are struggling with depression, or having trouble finding your place in this world: there are no frills here, just sincere music.”

AFE follows in a tradition that was paved by the likes of Underoath and Emery. The music is razor-sharp, melodies abound, and the vocals on point. Arms For Elephants has duel-lead vocalists, weaving their voices in and out of each other, layering, and alternating. The use of both voices really fills out the sound and makes the songs so much bigger. Maybe it’s partly because Underoath was one of the bands that got me seriously into heavy music, but there’s something I really love about this duel vocal approach. “Charlatan” in particular nails that sound.

“The Laws that Guide My Feet” plays an awful lot like an Emery song: super catchy, and a perfect balance of the softer and the more aggressive moments, with a great melody throughout.

“In Faith and Doubt” is a big, airy song that fills all the corners of the room. Ushered in by some sharp guitars and huge screamed vocals, the intensity backs off but slowly the music grows louder and more aggressive, and the vocals change into impassioned screams: “take away the pain.” A song that covers the full spectrum and a definite highlight.

A couple of my favourite tracks are “My Judas Scene” and “This Divide.” It’s during songs like these I can picture Arms For Elephants sharing a stage with Silverstein or Alexisonfire. These heavier songs are balanced by tracks like the dreamy “In Memory,” or “Separated;” a rainy day song with acoustic guitar, pure clean vocals and touches of piano. “Empty Hands” closes out the album with a bit more of a mellow rock sound featuring some gorgeous female guest vocals.

My Judas Scene‘s instrumentation is rock-solid: a rhythm section with a perfect sense for when to ease back, give the perfect accent, or dive in full power; guitars that slash, and soar, and coax us along through My Judas Scene; and vocals that fortify and complete each song’s structure.

Arms For Elephants’ My Judas Scene is lyrically genuine and musically engaging. A well-polished post-hardcore album that runs in the same vein as Saosin or Scary Kids Scaring Kids. - giantsinthesound.com

Head below to read a full review of Arms For Elephants debut full length My Judas Scene written by our contributor Sara Ruben!

Alternative/post-hardcore band, Arms For Elephants recently released their first full-length record, My Judas Scene. This record discusses heavy topics of struggling with depression and finding your place, and it definitely hits hard emotionally. There is no sugarcoating –the lyrics are real and honest complimented by awesome melodic instrumentals.

The album opens with the song, The Business of Barely Getting By. This title really sets the tone for the whole album. This track starts with simple instruments the quickly build to immediately powerful lyrics. The song talks about feeling a lot of pressure and trying to let go to that situation. It states, “I’m sick of being a slave to my failures and my miseries…I’m sick of being a slave to my fears and anxieties, the moments that I’m barely breathing,” and this resonates with many people, helping them know they are not alone.

Charlatan, is the third track and one of the most compelling songs on this record. This song is about taking action and recovering from a bad experience. With a combination of clean and unclean lyrics, this song is an encouragement to pick yourself back up – “we’re taking back our hearts, we’re taking back our identities and I swear whatever happens in the end…you’ll be the one to fall.”

The next song, In Memory, is mellower, yet still very emotional. It is a song that can be interpreted in several ways so that the listener can relate. It reflects on a relationship, but takes out the positive. It talks about not regretting the wasted time, and ends on a high note of, “if you won’t forgive me, then I want you to know…the way that I feel about me is getting so much better.”

With ten tracks on this immensely powerful album, it is impossible to pick a favorite. There is a mix of hardcore song and softer songs, clean and unclean lyrics, but every song is incredibly emotional. This album is a heavy one for sure with some extremely honest lyrics, but it also offers hope, positivity and encouragement. Arms For Elephants creates “music with a cause.” Whatever you are going through, these songs are relatable and sincere. This album is definitely worth checking out and perfect for fans of Underoath and Anberlin. - Underdog Press

Arms for Elephants, the Minnesota five-piece post-hardcore band recently released their new album My Judas Scene. James Rockso got the chance to chat with Fletcher Archerd, the band’s co-vocalist and guitarist. You can pick up a copy of the new album on their official Bandcamp as well as checking out their new music video for “The Laws That Guide My Feet” below!
Fletcher, welcome and thank you for joining us. Big thanks to Alex Osborn from High Road Publicity for getting me in touch with you guys.
Thanks for having me, and thank you too Alex!
Let’s talk Arms for Elephants, what have you guys been up to?
We just released our first full-length album My Judas Scene and finished up our second tour of the year, ‘The Influence of Motion Tour’ with fellow Minnesota band Sleep Signals. We’re currently preparing to shoot a music video for our first single ‘The Laws that Guide My Feet’ with HM Magazine’s Kyle Lehman.
My Judas Scene, tell us about the new album.
We’ve been working on this album for a little over a year, and we recorded and mixed it ourselves. We had it professionally mastered by Jeff Gudenrath of Audio Integrity. We wanted this album to be therapeutic, so we deliberately stepped outside our comfort zone lyrically to develop songs that are extremely personal and tackle dark subject matter that most people can relate to. Depression, anxiety, and addiction are some of the issues we address because they’re universal.

Will there be a CD release tour, and more importantly, will you be coming through Ottawa?
We won’t be touring again for a little bit, but our last tour was sort of a CD release tour because we sold physical copies before the official release of September 1. Hopefully we’ll make it to Canada next spring, because Canada rocks! We plan on doing some touring next year, as well as festivals in the summer. Besides that, more recording is at the top of the to do list.
Four guys from Minnesota (editor’s note: since this interview AFE have added another guitarist), what kind of influences drove you to play in a hardcore band?
We grew up on pop-punk, and transitioned to listening to heavier music in our teens like Underoath and Silverstein. The local punk and hardcore scene is alive and well in southern Minnesota, so we’ve been surrounded by it since our beginning as musicians. Our peers/local scene is a huge influence in sparking our desire to be musicians.
For a world oversaturated with a lot of similar music, lyrics, tunes, etc. What sets Arms for Elephants apart from your average hardcore band?
A lot of bands seem to follow a formula, like ‘what’s gonna get us popular?’ Too many use the same tricks and techniques we’ve all heard over and over again. We strongly believe that our music should go where it wants to go, and through that it can end up being something new. We’re inspired by our influences and because of that we’re often compared to the way post-hardcore sounded 10 years ago, but with some modern concepts inplemented. However, we don’t copy our influences…we strive to develop sounds that are truly new…and to all of the other bands/musicians that share that mindset, here’s to you.
If Arms for Elephants were to have a slogan, a message – what would it be?
The first thing that comes to mind is something our drummer said on tour. We were in Yellowstone on our day off, and he mentioned “If you’re by a baby bear, be careful.” This is always sound advice, as you never know when a mama bear might be near by. A more serious response would be something along the lines of this: “Arms for Elephants: post-hardcore for people who love alternative rock from 10 years ago.” Still not a very good one, but I tried.
Fletch, thanks so much for sitting down with us.
Thanks for having me! - The Scene (with James Rockso)

Arms for Elephants is a four-piece band from Minnesota that gives its audiences fast, run-away melodies with soaring and striking lyrics. Their music could be classified as post-pop rock with a hard edge. The band emulates the sounds of popular bands like Circa Survive, Coheed and Cambria, and Brand New.

The opening track on Identities, the band’s latest four-song release is quite the fire starter. The striking and infectious chorus really makes this song quite interesting to listen to. “Fear not for I am with you, I will not be ashamed, I will not be disgraced,” the climbing nature of the vocals and the harmonization of the scratchy screaming really make this song uplifting and one to scream (or sing) at the top of your lungs.

In contrast, the second song “Beloved,” has a softer and more contemplative persona to it and lets you dive into an emotional world of deep lyrics and hard-hitting guitar riffs. It starts off by inviting you into a deep world of dramatic drums and guitars and then reawakens you with seductive and soothing vocals. The song is a great one to sing along to and the breaks in between the swelling of riffs really lets you collect yourself before yet another wave of musical madness begins yet again. The lyrics become the main stay for the entire track and explode toward the end of the song with; “you are the lost and chosen beloved of the one true king, he will wash away your every stain.”

Identities is a very well-produced collection of songs and the sound within the album is of great quality. There is a great layering of instruments on every track and the vocals add yet another beautiful layer of sound for the listener to grasp. This is a perfect album for anyone into post-modern rock. Each track on the album has its own flavor that many into this genre will enjoy. - THE EQUAL GROUND