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In the two-year span since blessthefall's album His Last Walk was released, the band has undergone some internal repairs that could have sunk any other band on the rise. Not so for the Phoenix five-piece, who've learned that a kink in the gears isn't enough to stop a band this strong for good.

Formed in 2004 by a group of higher-thinking high-schoolers who wanted their peers to find meaning and camaraderie in their music, blessthefall was intent on making their post-hardcore/screamo blend a different breed that people would remember. After several gigs in the area, more than just the locals began to notice. Later, after a 3-song EP made the rounds at shows and landed in label hands, this buzzy and burgeoning band were signed to Warner subsidiary Science Records and making their first full-length.

"Everyone has their first shows that consist of just the bands, and your parents, if you're lucky," reflects guitarist Eric Lambert. "Things picked up rather quickly, though. We started selling out hometown shows, then started touring, and, oddly enough, we had fans outside of Arizona. It was small shows, but the fans we met are still coming to every show and are the best people ever."

Armed with a defiant upcoming record and a new frontman, blessthefall have returned to the scene a stronger entity than ever before. Witness, the band's sophomore album and first with singer Beau Bokan, formerly of Take the Crown, will be released from new label Fearless Records, who signed the band in May. Bokan says this album reflects the positive energy that now enfolds the band. "We wrote this album to show people we aren't the kind of band to lay down and give up," notes Bokan. "We're here and won't be going anywhere for a long, long time."

Those fans will undoubtedly be out in droves to obtain Witness, a forward-thinking record that boasts bigger choruses, heavier guitars and, essentially, Bokan adds, "His Last Walk on steroids. It has all the same elements that got us where we are today." Recorded earlier this summer with Elvis Baskette (Incubus, Escape The Fate, Story Of The Year) in Virginia, blessthefall took their collective struggles to the forefront to produce a highly personal and evolved album - and bombastic live show - that shows the band back is with vengeance.

"With all the bands in the scene it's hard to stand out," says Bokan. "Anyone can go into a studio and make an over produced album that sounds amazing, but if they can't pull it off live it means nothing. We pride ourselves on our live show, and we want people to walk away from our live show and be blown away. We leave our hearts on the stage every night. The greatest compliment to ever get is when someone says we sound better live than on CD."

For these Taste of Chaos veterans and current road warriors, they're anxious to take their performance chops to the road for Witness. While trying to win over new fans while appeasing the old may be a difficult task for some bands, blessthefall accept it eagerly as a challenge that they'll work toward with this record and its following tours. "There is a lot more drive now that Beau is in the band," Lambert said. "We know we have a lot to prove and we are all hungry for it."

Witness is in-stores and online now!