First of all, how does it feel knowing Messengers release turns 10 next year?

It’s one of those “wow, where did the time go” feelings. It’s crazy because I can remember recording that record so vividly. We did so much touring on that album and I just can’t believe that was a decade ago.

How did you feel when the album came out?

We really didn’t have any expectation for first week sales or anything. We were young and just excited about the songs and how the album sounded. I remember being at Cornerstone Festival when our first week numbers hit. Our A&R at Solid State, Jon Dunn, called me and told me we debuted at #81 on the Billboard Top 200. I think we sold around 7-8k records. We were all VERY surprised to be on the Top 200 chart. It was the first of many “whoa, we’re a real band now” moments that we would have while carrying out the Messengers album cycle.

Where do you think the album fits in the band's legacy?

Messengers was 100% the album that put us on the map. People really dug it. I guess it was something different for that time. I have heard a lot of younger bands tell me on tour that Messengers was an inspirational album for them. It’s sometimes hard for me to wrap my mind around comments like that because I remember saying those sorts of things to bands, even while touring Messengers….bands like Unearth, As I Lay Dying, Darkest Hour, BTBAM, etc. I can remember touring with them and gushing about how great their latest records were and blah blah blah. Totally fanning out. It’s humbling to think that some people might feel the same way I felt, in regards to ABR or Messengers.

How the band approach writing?

For Messengers, the lion’s share of the writing was done by Matt and I. I’d write riffs and some rough song skeletons and Matt and I would jam on them upstairs in his parent’s barn. We’d spend hours learning each other’s breakdown patterns. There are a LOT of rhythms and breakdowns on Messengers and, we took pride in writing odd-metered rhythms and making them confusing. It was fun. Brent and I still weren’t terribly good at playing our guitars, but we could certainly chug a tight breakdown. I imagine our shortcomings as players led us to create the type of album that Messengers is. Just pedal to the metal nonstop.

What inspired the lyrics?

The lyrics on Messengers come from a variety of members, and I think we were all inspired to write for different reasons. I wrote the song “Back Burner” about burying your convictions and living in the moment versus doing what you know is right. Brent’s lyrics tended to be more pointed at frustrations in society, while Matt was more inspired by theology and the bible. It’s interesting to read the lyrics from Messengers because I can’t imagine writing some of those songs today. A lot can change in ten years!

Do any of the themes touched on the album still hold relevant for you after 10 years?

That’s a great question. I’m sure some do, while others don’t. We have definitely all grown and changed as people and in our personal beliefs. I think many of us have changed our views on how we interpret Christianity and scripture in the bible. It’s amazing what you can learn when you break free from the little box you are raised in. Touring the world and meeting people with a wide variety of thoughts and feelings on things like religion, politics, and our planet will really open your mind and challenge what you were taught to believe. You’ll either form new opinions or solidify the ones you already have. I think we all experienced that over the past decade since the release of Messengers.

What were your hopes and expectations for Messengers during the writing and recording process?

The approach for Messengers was the same as our approach is today. We just wanted to write and record great songs. There was no concept or specific direction in mind. We’ve always believed if you write great songs you will have a great album.

At that point in our career I think we had pretty low expectations. We didn’t have much of a track record to go off of. Our shows were relatively small, even when we were supporting other bands. I suppose our hope was to release a cool record and hope that it would take us to new places.

When you were in the studio, how was the morale of the band?

Morale was great! We were still very young and everything was relatively new and exciting. Everyone got along pretty well, even while living in very close quarters for the duration of the recording. I guess spending a large portion of the previous two years in a van together helped prepare us for the tight living conditions in the studio. We had a good routine of going about our business during the day, and hanging out together at night.

When was the last time you listened to the record? Are there memories and emotions that come back?

I began listening to Messengers periodically this past summer while we were on our European tour. It had been years since I had last heard it and I knew we were doing this 10-year tour so I figured I should refresh myself. It’s fun listening to your own music after not hearing it for years. Certainly a nostalgic vibe. I struggled to remember the patterns of some of the breakdowns so it was like listening to them for the first time. That’s an experience I never really have had because I’m so involved in the writing process. I’ve often wondered what it’s like to listen to our music for the first time from a listener’s perspective, so I got a little taste of that this past summer.

What do you remember most about making the album?

I remember tracking with our producer, Tue Madsen. We spent long days playing guitar and trying to nail riffs. One riff in particular gave Tue, Brent, and I fits. It was the fast tremolo section in the last song “Redemption.” We took turns passing the guitar around between the three of us trying to get a good take of this part. This went on much longer than it should have. I believe Tue was the one to finally get a quality take.

Were there any bands in particular you enjoyed playing with while touring for the record?

There were so many bands we just loved touring with on that album cycle. Some of my favorite touring memories came from that time. We had so much fun with Evergreen Terrace, Unearth, Between the Buried and Me, and As I Lay Dying. To this day I still keep in touch with dudes from all those bands in some capacity.

What sort of place was your life in when the album came out?

I was single and living at home with my parents. I wasn’t working any other jobs between tours but I certainly wasn’t doing well enough to have my own place. Touring and ABR were so important to me that they consumed all my free time. So much so that I didn’t feel like I had time to pursue any other relationships. It was an exciting time where all I wanted to do was ABR.

Did you ever expect the album to have the influence it did?

Definitely not! I don’t think anyone writing a record ever thinks, “hey, this is really special and is going to influence the next generation of metal artists.” I feel fortunate that some people find the album to be inspirational in any way. That’s something we’ll never take for granted.

Do you remember what you were listening to at the time?

I was listening to a pretty wide variety of stuff. Some of my favorites would have been Cult of Luna, Callisto, Isis, Between the Buried and Me, Converge, Mewithoutyou, NOFX, Darkest Hour, The Arcade Fire, etc.

Looking back on things 10 years later, would you change anything about the release?

I probably would have the album mixed differently if we were looking to change anything about it today, but I think the mix is also unique and one of the reasons why people liked the record so much. It has a ton of high-end and is mastered really loudly. If I changed the way it sounds it would only bum out the people who already like it how it is. Haha

I find some of the song writing choices to be rather curious. When listening back to the record for the first time this summer I remember thinking to myself “dude, why did you go into that part?” or “that tempo change feels awfully abrupt, why didn’t you make that transition smoother?”

We were young and inexperienced, and while I hear things I wouldn’t have done the same way today, that inexperience is probably why fans found the record to be so unique.