GRACE FOR THE FALLEN
Here's an interview with Burrito, bass player for American band Grace For The Fallen. GFTF recently signed with Clenched Fist Records. Interview by David, December 2000

David: Please tell a little about the history of the band. You were first called 44 Evergiven, right ? Why the name change ?

Burrito: Yeah we were first called " 44 Evergiven ". I joined the band after they had been around a few months. Our music sound was more old school hardcore. We toured in 1998 with Blindside (their first U.S. tour). Half way through the tour our drummer quit and we had to miss like the entire west coast of the tour. We had replaced our 1st guitar player (who had quit) with Nick (who was in Unabridged). Well we ended up taking the other members of his old band (Derrick who is our drummer, and Dale who was our 2nd guitarst who just left that band). So Marcus from Blindside ended up playing drums for us so we could finish the tour. With new band members we had a change in our sound and direction so we changed our name to " Grace For The Fallen " which better suits us. So here is our line-up : Mark (vocals) , Nick (guitar) , Mike (guitar and newest member), Derrick (drums) and myself on bass.

David: I’ve read a lot about your band, but never heard any music. How would you describe your sound ?

Burrito: Our sound has been compared to the sounds of Converge , Poison The Well and Burn It Down. Brutal metalcore with very sick breakdowns.

David: When reading your lyrics on your website, I noticed they’re pretty Christ-focused. Would you consider your band being a missionary band, and do you tell people of your beliefs inbetween songs ?

Burrito: When we first started out we would preach more then we played, but as time went on and we matured as a band and as Christians, we saw a need to just let our lives speak for our faith.   Some may say we have "compromised " but we don't feel that. We are playing more and more within the secular hxc scene so we are there to be the light. People are tired of hearing words that don't support the actions. We explain certain song titles to the crowd but we are not giving altar calls from the stage anymore. We tell them if they have any questions to see us after the shows and some kids come up and want to talk. I think our lives are a ministry, not the just fact that you play in a band or whatever, but it's 24 hours a day 7 days a week. We are just normal guys who love hxc and love Jesus and love playing music, we have our fair share of struggles in life and if someone is touched by our lives and faith then that's a good thing.

David: The song “War On The Unborn” is dealing with the abortion topic. Recently, The Netherlands - where I live - was the first country to legalize euthanasia under certain circumstances. What do you think of that and do you as a band have an outspoken pro-life opinion ?

Burrito: Yes we are pro-life. To take the life of an unborn child is wrong. Now there may be some cases where it involves the life of the mother but I think those cases are very few. Abortion seems to be the answer for someone's sexual sin. God gives life and I feel only God can take life. We have been asked to play at the biggest Pro-Life rally at our Nation's Capital this coming January 2001. Which should be a real experience.

David: What we hear in the news about some American Pro-Life groups is that they're very militant, and some even playing their own judge by killing abortion doctors and bombing abortion clinics. Are those groups also represented there and how do you take a stand ?

Burrito: First off we don't condone or support any group that uses extreme force to make their point . Bombing clinics or killing doctors that perform abortion is just plain wrong . It's like killing some one who has different beliefs than yourself . Abortion is wrong but we would never support the actions of those who are extreme . I am not sure those "extreme" groups will be in attendance at the Pro-Life rally in January 2001.

David: Freedom of speech is very important in this matter of course. However, for instance in our country, nazi groups and symbols are forbidden while in the US they're not. The KKK still has a lot of support. Shouldn't there be a limit to freedom of speech at some point ?

Burrito: Good question. This country was found under freedom . Which as the moral decay grows in our government and country everyday, more and more "extreme" groups are somewhat protected by our "first amendments rights". One being "freedom of speech" which allows any person or group the ability to "voice" their opinions and still be protected by our laws . Yes, hate groups like the KKK and others have their "freedom of speech" to spread their posion through out our country. Which I don't think was on the mind of those who came to America in the first place to establish this country.

David: Do people or other bands who have a clear Pro-Choice opinion attack or boycot you because of the band's stand ?

Burrito: We really haven't had a problem with Pro-Choice bands or people who are Pro-Choice; they may disagree with us but haven't really given us flack.

David: What’s your opinion on the whole circus around the presidential elections in the USA ?

Burrito: I think what is going on with the "circus" of choosing who will be president of the U.S. speaks for itself on the state of the country we live in. A country that was founded under God but has now become a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah. This country is slowly killing itself by having so much pride, greed, hate, etc. Here we have the "right" to vote yet it is going to take a court and a judge to tell us who will lead this country ? What a joke !

David: Your nick (I assume it's not your real name), what's the story behind that ?

Burrito: My real name is David. I got the nickname "Burrito" from back when I was a kid. Being Hispanic I always took my mom's homemade burritos to school for lunch. All my friends called me "the burrito kid", then it dropped to just "burrito" which has stuck with me all this time. So that is what most people know me by .

David: That's a funny story. You're lucky that your mom didn't give you enchilada's for lunch, 'cause that nick would have sounded rather feminine, hehehe.... Burrito is way cooler. Anyway, thanks for the interview and I really hope to have the opportunity to watch a show of you guys down here in Europe once ! Any last words to our readers?

Burrito: In closing, we would like to thank you for allowing us to express and share what we are all about . We would love to come to Europe and do a tour so if there are any serious promoters out there that want to hook us up with a tour: contact us! We would like to thank everyone who has supported us in any way shape or form, and remember hardcore is all about unity; we may have different beliefs but that doesn't make anyone better than the next person. And please feel free to contact us !! You can visit us on our web site at - www.graceforthefallen.com and you can e-mail us at - burrito@tattoos.com.