Why Pallbearer Never Make The Same Album Twice

"The new songs have been really enjoyable to play live and we've been getting a really good response to them," confirms Campbell when asked whether Pallbearer immediately inserted material from their third LP into their live set.

"In fact when we were writing material we were constantly thinking about how the songs would sound live — so it's not surprising they're working really well. We take real care with our live sets and we actually change them around to suit the vibe of the show. Sometimes when we're playing with really brutal bands we might play some of our more spaced out stuff to even things out — but it really depends on our mood. We see what the crowd is feeling and play to that."

"Every Motorhead album is essentially the same damn thing — and don't get me wrong I love Motorhead — but what works for a band like that doesn't necessarily work for us."

In the run-up to Heartless' release, the band were quoted in the press as saying that the new album was the most prog rock thing they had done to date. This set off alarm bells among doom purists who feared the trio would lose their monolithic heaviness, however they needn't have worried. Heartless is Pallbearer's most well-rounded effort, the riffs strewn across the LP still shimmer with an Iommi-esque grandeur.  

"We were aware that some fans have pretty strong ideas about what Pallbearer should sound like," admits Campbell. "But really — and people may be surprised to hear this — but we don't consider ourselves so much a 'riff' based band as one based on movement in the music. And it's not like this record is actually that much different than our older material. Really I think the songwriting has more depth to it — we were determined to push ourselves and not stagnate — but the traditional elements of Pallbearer, including a strong sense of melody, are all there in the songs.

"We have never made the same album twice. You know — for example, every Motorhead album is essentially the same damn thing — and don't get me wrong I love Motorhead — but what works for a band like that doesn't necessarily work for us."

Talking of metal legends, the last time The Music spoke to Pallbearer we found Campbell's bandmate Joe Rowland extolling the virtues of Dio era Sabbath (Pallbearer even covered Over And Over on their Fear And Fury EP). As it turns out Campbell harbours a similar guilty musical pleasure that could explain Pallbearer's sometimes glossy and melodic sheen.

"Headless Cross — and all the Tony Martin Sabbath albums are really underrated," enthuses Campbell. "It's a fucking great record that people ignore because it's not Ozzy or Dio. The same goes for Seventh Star with Glenn Hughes — he is amazing on that record and Tony Iommi — what can you say — the man doesn't write a bad riff and that record is full of great ones."