Chosen by Monk

The Pennsylvanian alt-rock quintet celebrate the release of their fifth studio album by taking us on a journey into the depths of #Forever:

‘Forever’ came together at the very end of the record, almost like it was waiting for everything else to fall into place before it could exist, co-vocalist Matt Brandyberry shared with us.

There’s a sense of finality to it, like standing in the aftermath of something you can’t fix, realizing too late where it all went wrong. It paints a picture of how it feels when regret won’t let go. We pushed ourselves further than we ever have on this one. We made choices that felt uncomfortable, but that’s what helped shape it into something different for us. The goal wasn’t to play it safe; it was to evolve and create something that sticks with you.

‘Forever’ doesn’t resolve cleanly…It lingers, and that’s exactly what we wanted.

As for the album as a whole, he explained:

It’s not a concept album by design, but there’s a common theme running through it — that feeling of being stuck in a kind of purgatory, where you can almost see something better ahead of you, but there’s always something dragging you back down.

This record is a reflection of who we were while making it, but even more than that, it’s a statement of who we’re becoming. Every song helped shape a sound that feels honest to where we’re headed, not where we’ve been. We didn’t hold anything back, and you can hear that in every moment.

Following the release of previous album ‘Blackout’ in 2023, FATN found themselves at a creative crossroads at the end of that same year.

The group had wrapped up demos for 16 songs for what was supposed to be their fifth studio album. However, instead of sprinting towards the finish line and completing the record, the band scrapped those demo sessions.

The process went against everything the band had ever done before. But largely starting anew – they kept two songs – was liberating. The band collectively knew it had to make something that remained true to their traditional sound yet broadened the tent to capture the ears and focus of a fresh audience.

I wanted to take what we are good at and push it even further, Brandyberry says.

That was the process for this whole record.

  • ‘Reflections‘ was released today (Friday 17 April) via Better Noise Music.