Haste The Day

The current metalcore scene is often volatile and chaotic, from the music, to the live shows, to lineups of the bands that constitute this scene. The scene remains in a exciting yet constant state of growth, motion and movement, and it’s full of unpredictability as well as passionate bands and fans.

Indianapolis quintet Haste The Day, a metalcore band that loves to play music in front of anyone who will watch, fit the scene to a ‘t,’ thanks to the stormily passionate music on their sophomore effort, When Everything Falls, which has moments of breakdown-filled bluster, tempered by beautiful, well-written melodies, layered vocal harmonies, and catchy choruses that’ll lodge themselves in your brain for days at a time. But HTD are hardly a band that fits some pre-designed mold. They go beyond it, and they do things a little differently.

For one thing, they’ve been a stable, synchronized, and tight knit bunch since their formation in 2002 and the release of their debut, Burning Bridges, in 2004. Guitarist/clean vocalist Brennan Chaulk, his brother, drummer Devon Chaulk, and bassist Michael Murphy formed the core rhythm section of the band and played together for 6 months before recruiting second guitarist Jason Barnes and screamer James Ryan to complete their sound. Reflecting on the band’s inception, Brennan Chaulk, who was born and raised in Canada before moving to the U.S. in 1996, says, “Mike and I were best friends who met in 8th grade, and knew we wanted to play music together. We started taking it seriously, and writing heavier stuff. Devon was at college, but he’d come on weekends and jam with us, and we ended up with the core of the band. Jason was a friend we met at shows, and we had played with him. He knew Jimmy and brought him to practice, and next thing you know, he was in band.” Chaulk also contends that the band’s lineup “will never change, and if it does, then I don’t think we’ll be around anymore.”

Sure, HTD haven’t experienced the band member turnover that oftentimes cripples most young bands, and that allows band chemistry to remain firmly in tact. The members are on the same page, individually and as a unit, which explains why their music is so tightly crafted and well-constructed on When Everything Falls, which has as much Swedish death metal influence as it does shimmery pop influence.

Another thing that sets HTD apart from their peers – and there are many of them in this hustling, bustling scene- is the thread of positive energy that runs through every note and lyrics of When Everything Falls. Musically, the album bares its sharpened fangs over and over, but it’s not about putting on your angry face and stomping around in a mosh pit. “You can listen to it when you’re down and it’ll lift your spirits, and you’ll get something out of it, if you spend time with the lyrics,” Chaulk says.

While HTD are just a rash of clean-cut dudes making very angry rock, and they’ve taken a real step up from their debut. When Everything Falls flows from stem to stern, with no lulls or lapses. There’s absolutely no filler, and no track is deemed worthy of skipping. It also doesn’t beat you into submission, thanks to the strategically placed melodic passages. “We developed a sound that we wanted,” Chaulk also points out. “It was much more mature, with verse-chorus, and the lyrics are more relating to real life this time out.”

When Everything Falls was recorded in Vancouver with noted veteran producer GGGarth Richardson (From Autumn To Ashes, Kittie, Mudvayne) behind the boards. “A lot of our favorite records were recorded there, so we were happy to go up there,” says Chaluk. “With our last record, we felt pressed for time. This time, we had more time to write and record. We had three months to write prior to recording to write the record, but we developed some stuff and ideas while in the studio.”

Going through the album, Chaulk expounds on key tracks. The title track sums up the vibe of the entire album, saying, “It’s about standing up for what you believe in, even when that’s the hardest thing to do. It encourages you to not fall over in any part of your life, and to stay strong.” The song “The Perfect Night” is “about a boy and a girl in love, and it’s a fun song that a lot of people can relate to,” Chaulk explains. “It’s almost got an adventurous feel. It’s different than anything we’ve ever done.” The track “If I Could See” is a song reminded oneself to “not get distracted by everything out there than can distract you. It’s an encouraging song,” the guitarist says. “Walk On” was the second song HTD wrote for the album, and “it’s about different things in our lives that we’re not going to take anymore,” Chaulk reveals. “We say, ‘Walk on past / Never say my name again.’ It’s about completely getting rid of something in our lives that we don’t want anymore.” There’s robust gang vocals on the end of “For A Lifetime,” which give the song a fraternal, communal feel. Memebrs of HTD and