Figure Four Reunite for Rain Fest, Future Plans Unknown
Figure Four were one of the leaders of the Christian metal scene -- one of the most brutalistic bands to be birthed by genre -- before they decided to stop playing live and go off the grid. Well, the good news is that Figure Four are reuniting to play Rain Fest 2011 in May.
So if you've got the means and the money to trek out to Seattle for the last weekend in May, then you should pool your resources and go see the Canadian metallers. It could be the only time you get the chance, as this reunion is fluid and without a plan.
Is Rain Fest a one off? That's TBD. Is it a precursor to more reunion shows? Perhaps. Put simply, the band doesn't know what's next -- and they like it that way.
"Personally, I'd love to play with Figure Four all year round," bassist Wolfe Bailey told Noisecreep. "I love everyone in the band and want to spend as much time with them as possible. That being said, I don't have an answer to this question.
"If you'd like to see Figure Four play, there is a chance that Rain Fest might be your only chance. Then again, we might find ourselves on tour again. The chances are slim, but you never know. We're just going to take this one day at a time and see how everything comes together."
Bailey was also quick to point out that Figure Four never really broke up. "Everyone in the band got pulled in different directions a for a minute, and that minute turned into years," Bailey reasoned. "We just decided after the shows we played in January 2006 that we would probably play again; we just weren't sure when that would be.
"We all miss playing those songs and hanging out with each other. We're all friends with the guys at Rain Fest, and when the opportunity presented itself, it seemed like the perfect time to play together again."
Since the "minute" morphed into years, there's going to be some level of practice involved for this show, with Bailey saying, "It's going to have to be May 20-26; otherwise were pooched!" As for what the band will be playing? "We will be playing some songs we never played live, and we will be playing some songs that we played for years" was the only hint he would offer about the upcoming show's set list. So you'll just have to be patient and see for yourself. Other Rain Fest participants include Trial, Madball and Most Precious Blood, to name a few.
Bailey also let us know what his bandmates have been up to during the "down time." While guitarist Jeremy Hiebert and vocalist Andrew Neufeld have kept busy and musical fresh with their other band Comeback Kid, and while Neufeld is also enjoying membership Sights & Sounds, Bailey told us that guitarist Metal Mel is "furthering her schooling" and drummer Steve got married. Bailey himself has played in Grave Maker, as well as making T-shirts and booking tours.
The Christian metal scene has really expanded -- exploded even -- since Figure Four took their break. Bailey feels the scene has "been better ... it's also been worse. For better or worse, I like it."
Additionally, Blood & Ink Records will be releasing the vinyl pressing of the band's album 'Suffering the Loss.' Details are scant at this time, but the label does plan to have the vinyl out by the time the Rain Fest show. Bailey is stoked about this piece of product, saying that his excitement is "more then you know! [I'm] pretty happy to have a label like B&I behind this release, and couldn't have come at a better time."
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