EXCLUSIVE: Ryan Kirby From Fit For A King Shares His Key Influential Artists In Honour Of The New FFAK Album 'The Hell We Create'

Emerging from personal and creative hell in the lead up to the release of a seventh studio album this year, Texan metalcore collective Fit For A King harnessed over a decade of life in the FFAK universe and surrounding turbulence into a riveting collection of metallic and melodic discovery on the band's new LP The Hell We Create.

From their breakout 2013 release Creation/Destruction to over 312 million streams, consecutive Top 5 album debuts and tours alongside August Burns Red, We Came As Romans and more, Fit For A King have dominantly become a band who consistently seek evolution with each new release; but it was largely the experiences of FFAK vocalist Ryan Kirby that ultimately shaped the group's latest release, with Kirby's experience adopting his niece and nephew from an abusive home environment and multiple foster homes pre-pandemic, his wife's near-fatal stroke soon after and the repercussions of lockdowns and isolations devastatingly permeating every turn on The Hell We Create.

A sonically chaotic, catchy yet hard-hitting and immersive album, The Hell We Create may have been conjured in Kirby's own personal hell, but still with a level of hope for self-awareness and understanding amongst any and all of the dark. And in light of the album's recent release, as well as its themes of survival and perseverance, today frontman Ryan Kirby shares some of his own personal musical influences that have helped him survive and thrive creatively and personally over the years.

High School Days: Linkin Park & Avenged Sevenfold

I'd say, especially in early school, like seventh grade, it was a lot of Linkin Park, like Hybrid Theory and Meteora. I think that would be the case for a lot of people too, they were two of the biggest albums in rock music ever. I got to see Linkin Park in 2015 with my wife, and it was Linkin Park with Thirty Seconds to Mars and AFI, it was a good concert. Linkin Park did a medley of all of Hybrid Theory where they played parts of every song. I guess it was their way of saying: “All right, there you go guys, we played all your favourite parts. We can move forward now and play some new songs.” Avenged Sevenfold is one as well for me, Waking the Fallen was a big record for me too, I loved that album for so long.

Later In Life: A Day To Remember, As I Lay Dying (pre-controversies)

As I got older, I got into A Day To Remember, their album For Those Who Have Heart was the soundtrack to my whole beginning of high school, I listened to that so much. Same with their album Homesick and What Separates, they just put out crazy record after crazy record.

There were certain artists that I really leaned towards back in those early days, and those were always artists like Linkin Park and A Day To Remember. And As I Lay Dying were one as well, but it hit me hard when all that stuff happened with them back in 2014, they were one of the first truly metalcore bands that I had heard. And it sucks now because the band doesn’t even have the same members anymore. But I loved that band, I love Josh [Gilbert]’s singing and Nick [Hipa]’s guitar solos, I loved it all. It was a bummer. I’m glad we got to tour with As I Lay Dying before the band had broken up into pieces. But it definitely isn’t the same for me now, I do enjoy the music still now, but it’s hard to get behind the lyrics because of everything that happened. And that sucks because it was a big part of my childhood.

Parkway Drive & Music In General

Parkway Drive is another big band for me, growing up with Killing with a Smile and Horizons, and I know Australians will agree with me on that one.

And also, I’d just say music in general has stuck by me through the years. It sucks because a lot of these artists I grew up with, with Linkin Park obviously Chester Bennington passed away and that was really hard. Now there’s no more Linkin Park, and then there’s the stuff with As I Lay Dying happening. That changes how I listen to that music. But A Day To Remember and Parkway Drive are still kicking it, still doing great!

FIT FOR A KING'S NEW ALBUM THE HELL WE CREATE IS OUT NOW VIA SOLID STATE.

FOR MORE INFO, HEAD TO: https://bfan.link/gloom-trinity

CONNECT WITH FIT FOR A KING:

BY TIANA SPETER