News

Believers Never Die – Is A Fall Out Boy Reunion On The Cards?

• 29th Jan 2013

EDIT: since writing the band have denied the reunion rumours, read our update here link

Ever since the announcement of their indefinite hiatus back in 2009, the internet has been awash with rumours of Fall Out Boy making a big return to the stage. The internet has cried for it, the band members constantly bombarded by questions on Twitter. Easily the second biggest band to emerge from their scene (only bested by Blink-182), Fall Out Boy fans have been aching for a day when they could blast Take This To Your Grave from their stereo, knowing that shortly they could hear it live.

And while this has been said so many times that I’m not sure if it matters, that day may well be upon us.

Last week, not for the first time, Twitter rejoiced in the news hat a Fall Out Boy reunion was on the cards. But this time, it seems to be for real. PropertyOfZack announced that, after some careful and patient investigative journalism, a Fall Out Boy reunion was in the works. Willing to put the site’s credibility on the line, and with the backing of many other music journalists, the news broke.

Stream Thanks For The Memories here:

Of course, this almost instantly denied by the band and their management. As expected. But POZ is sticking to their guns, their sources and their story. Which is why I believe that we are indeed in the midst of the biggest pop-punk reunion since Blink-182’s in 2009.

So, what would this mean? Well, first of all, each member would be taking a step back from their respective side projects. Guitarist Joe Trohman and drummer And Hurley received both critical and commercial success with their metal group The Damned Things, formed with members of Anthrax and Every Time I Die. But, this project is currently taking a break as the other members are focusing on the aforementioned bands. Their newer projects have since created little buzz.

Patrick Stump has already issued a statement saying how he will no longer be touring or promoting his solo effort, Soul Punk. The biggest shame was him never making it to this side of the pond after the album was released, as it was a critical success. This reviewer said it “hit every expectation with a deafening wallop”. And bassist Pete Wentz, who has possibly had the least successful break (various attempts to record an album with his project Black Cards, lead singer leaving, resorting to releasing an EP and mixtape of electronic music) is currently awaiting his book “Gray” to be released in February.

So, there is free time. But is there a reason? Of course. This year sees the 10 year anniversary of their first full-length record, Take This To Your Grave. And while it was From Under The Cork Tree that really gave the band their wide acclaim, many fans view TTTYG as being the better album. Punk and hardcore with pop sensibilities. An anniversary tour is almost perfect.

And that is one reason of so many. But, with a reunion, comes new music. Where would we se the band go with regards to new material? Their latest record, 2008’s Folie à Deux saw the band’s range jump to far more than their original pop punk, while their usual personal lyrics became more wide spread and less autobiographical. However, lyricist Wentz tweeted last year how he was ready to get to the studio, and essentially get some stuff off his chest. Since then, he released the “Use Your Disillusion” EP with Black Cards, which did not contain such personal lyrics. This could be the perfect opportunity for him to step back to the kind of lyrics we saw on TTTYG, FUTCT and Infinity On High.

Stump, being the primary composer for the band, has not released anything since Soul Punk, which he stated has been written over the course of years. So it is safe to assume that he has some new stuff written which did not feature on the record. He also stated in a blog entry that he will continue to write music, that he is always writing music. I would like to think that this will appear somewhere, where better than a FOB record?

Stream Sugar… here:

Without Fall Out Boy, the pop-punk scene has been devoid of the kind of music they bring. Always inventive, forever changing, and with the ability to write memorable and catchy songs, it’s time for FOB to make return. While it was a day many fans never thought they’d see, Blink-182’s reunion was lacklustre in effort. This is more than likely due to the band recording Neighborhoods separately (as seen by their recently released EP, which is stronger in quality). Because of this, we could even see FOB leap-frog Blink and become the titans of their scene, should they get it right.

I am a Fall Out Boy fan, always have been, and probably always will be. While every thing above is purely speculation, it is everything I hope. Easily my favourite band for the past 9 years, it would be a happy day when this is officially announced via the proper channels. Indeed, I would have rathered the news broke through these channels than POZ – the internet has ruined surprise. Everything now is so accessible. Music leaks online before its official release in almost every case.

So, for now at least, we wait. If I was to make an estimated guess, we could see an announcement by the end of February. Until there is an official announcement, take this with a slight pinch of salt if you wish. I myself plan on listening to my favourite records on repeat, in the hope that in the near future, I will have another to add to the collection.

Long Live The Car Crash Hearts.

Chris Droney