For the Fallen Dreams

For the Fallen Dreams is an American metalcore band from Lansing, Michigan, formed in 2003. The band originally signed to Rise Records but produced one album under Artery Recordings in 2012. After the departure of then vocalist Dylan Richter and the return of vocalist Chad Ruhlig in 2013, the band started producing music under Rise Records once again until 2022. They have released three demos (their first being in the genre of deathcore), a self-titled extended play, and seven full-length albums: Changes (2008), Relentless (2009), Back Burner (2011), Wasted Youth (2012), Heavy Hearts (2014), Six (2018) and For the Fallen Dreams (2023). Relentless charted at number 29 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers. Jim Hocking (lead guitar), Andrew Tkaczyk (drums), Aaron Long (vocals), Chris Croll (rhythm guitar) and Chris Ash (bass) formed For the Fallen Dreams in 2003. While Long, Croll and Ash only had brief stays in the band Hocking and Tkaczyk watched members come and go (including Chad Ruhlig on bass) for the first two years of the band's existence; altogether amounting to 10 members. In early 2006, the band added Chad Ruhlig as vocalist and produced the album Changes which was released in 2008 after members Marcus Morgan (rhythm guitar) and Scott Green (bass) had also left the band. On January 8, 2008, the band released its first full-length studio album called Changes. In January, FTFD and Cassius, a band signed to Lifeforce Records, planned a tour visiting seventeen states, starting and ending in Michigan. FTFD performed at The Modern Exchange in Southgate, Michigan on July 30, 2008, with bands I Am Abomination and A Day to Remember. Chad Ruhlig departed For the Fallen Dreams in 2008, the same year that they released their highly acclaimed album Changes. Ruhlig stated that the departure was mutual and that he and the band both wished the best for each other After Ruhlig's departure the band quickly welcomed Dylan Richter as the new lead vocalist.Hardcore News & Metal News Dylan Richter fronted the band From Under the Gallows previous to FTFD. On July 21, 2009, the album Relentless was released. It charted at number 29 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers list. Vocalist Jeremy McKinnon from A Day to Remember was featured on the song "Nightmares". FTFD toured with A Day to Remember and Azriel in the UK and Germany 2009 Tour in February and March 2009. The Thrash & Burn tour in August 2009 included FTFD as well as Devildriver, Emmure, MyChildren MyBride, Veil of Maya, Oceano, Periphery, and more. They performed with Azriel and Confession at The Cockpit in Leeds, UK in March 2010. 2009 saw the departure Chris Cain on rhythm guitar and the arrival of Kalan Blehm. In 2010, bassist Joe Ellis, member since 2007, also left the band, leaving a spot that would be filled and vacated by two members in the same year. On May 24, 2011, For the Fallen Dreams released the album Back Burner. The band produced two music videos to the songs "The Big Empty" and "Let Go". On March and April 2011, For the Fallen Dreams performed at the Sick Tour with Chelsea Grin, Attila, Chunk! No Captain Chunk!, and Vanna with Volumes and The Crimson Armada on select dates. In 2011, founding member Andrew Tkaczyk departed the band and joined The Ghost Inside. Tkaczyk would remain completely removed from the band until 2013 when Chad Ruhlig returned. After Ruhlig's return Tkaczyk rejoined FTFDs efforts, contributing to composition and songwriting. Jordan McPherson, bassist and backing vocalist, and Arvan Sarathy, drums/percussion, also joined and departed the band in 2011. On July 17, 2012, Wasted Youth was released. One month prior to the release, the music video for the song "Resolvent Feelings" was released. "Resolvent Feelings" was the only song on the album had a music video. FTFD was on the bill for the 14th annual Metal and Hardcore Festival in Worcester, Massachusetts in April. The bill had 77 bands over 3 days. FTFD played on the third day on the same stage as Killswitch Engage, Vanna, Every Time I Die, For Today, Chelsea Grin, Stick to Your Guns, Attila, MyChildren MyBride, Texas in July, Betraying the Martyrs, Like Moths to Flames, Volumes, Hundredth, No Bragging Rights, The Air I Breathe and others. The band attended the Slam Dunk South Festival in Hatfield, England in May, playing alongside Taking Back Sunday, Motion City Soundtrack, Architects, Mayday Parade, Cancer Bats, Every Time I Die, Lower Than Atlantis, Funeral for a Friend, Upon a Burning Body, Of Mice & Men, I See Stars, and more. FTFD performed at the Skate and Surf Festival in Jackson, New Jersey in May. Bands on the roster included A Day to Remember, Gideon, Breathe Carolina, Crown the Empire, Escape the Fate, Of Mice & Men, Dangerkids, For All Those Sleeping, Issues, Miss May I, Hundredth, and more. In August 2012, they joined the All Star tour which included bands Suicide Silence, The Word Alive, I See Stars, A Skylit Drive, Winds of Plague, Stick to Your Guns, Attila, Stray from the Path, Make Me Famous, Betraying the Martyrs, Obey the Brave, Ice Nine Kills, and Dance Gavin Dance plus Unearth on select dates. In 2013, Kalan Blehm departed For the Fallen Dreams and joined Attila as their new bassist and backing vocalist. Blehm was the last full-time rhythm guitarist on the band's roster. Dylan Shippey joined FTFD as the new percussionist, filling the spot that Arvan Sarathy vacated in late 2011. In 2013, Richter decided to part ways with For the Fallen Dreams after acting as vocalist for the three full-length albums Relentless (2009), Back Burner (2011), and Wasted Youth (2012). Richter cited his need for change and prioritizing and that home-life was the reason for departing For the Fallen Dreams. Being aware of Richter's eventual departure For the Fallen Dreams contacted Chad Ruhlig to see if he would be interested in returning. In an interview on the May 23, 2013, Ruhlig stated that his return seemed like a logical choice because of his relationship to the band and the band's need to stay genuine to their sound. Ruhlig also stated that he was impressed by Richter's work on Relentless and Back Burner and that despite his absence those albums were true to For the Fallen Dreams musical style. Wasted Youth had been released not even six months prior to Dylan Richter's departure and the band had no intention of letting the loss of a member slow their progress, after all For the Fallen Dreams history was rife with transient members. FTFD planned on attending the Boys of Summer tour in Australia in January 2013 but cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. The single "Substance" was released in May 2013. The single marked Ruhlig's return and showed fans the style of music they should anticipate for their next album. In April, while performing tour dates with Abandon All Ships and Dream on Dreamer in Europe and the UK, the band announced their own headlining tour which included 27 dates between May and June. Upon This Dawning, Hundredth, Gideon, To the Wind, and Wolves at the Gate had also signed onto the tour. FTFD announced that they would be returning to Australia in September 2013 to attend tour dates with The Plot in You, Storm the Sky, and Fit for a King. They had to cancel due to injuries that Ruhlig sustained from a motorbike accident. Ruhlig needed a wheelchair for at least two months and was told that he might need surgery on his leg. In the months of October and November, FTFD acted as support for Senses Fail's headlining tour. The band had started playing singles from their next album Heavy Hearts at this time gearing up fans in preparation for its release in 2014. Late in 2013, percussionist Dylan Shippey departed For the Fallen Dreams and Navid Naghdi joined to fill Shippey's place. The album Heavy Hearts was released on April 4, 2014, and is the fifth studio album the band has produced. It was reported on September 8, 2014, by AltPress that the band had released a music video for the song "Bombay". On June