In a world full of various hard rock sub-genres, Like Moths to Flames doesn’t exactly fit into any of them. The Ohio-based band is generally lumped into “metalcore,” but as the hybrid metal/punk genre expands, Like Moths to Flames has been pegged as one of the recent groups most likely to gain more mainstream success. 

Of course, a band doesn’t just go from club-sized favorites (and major world tour openers) to nationally recognized hard rockers. It takes a hit record to get the radio play and exposure necessary to gain that level of fame. With October’s The Dying Things We Live For, vocalist Chris Roetter and crew hope to do just that (or at least put out their best album to date).

Myspace caught up with Roetter while he was on the road promoting The Dying Things We Live For to talk about the new album, touring life, and his well-documented passion for video games. 

How does The Dying Things We Live For compare with the band’s other two albums? 

I think it’s a pretty big growth from the last album as far as the lyrics and songwriting go. We had a lot of time to put into the album, and we wanted it to be special for our fans and for our friends. As far as the content goes, 2014 was kind of a shirt year for me, so it kind of comes from that. I tried to be more relatable with it, not just aggressive and angry. We want our music to grow with our fan base. It’s a younger crowd, but we’re all in our mid-20s to 30s, so we try to do things that are relatable for everyone. It’s cool to hear even the real young fans get into it.

Over the last few years, you’ve toured with a who’s who of the modern hard rock world, what’s that been like? 

In the past, we’ve gotten to tour with a lot of bands that are big influences to us. Bands like Story of the Year and Silverstein, to get to stand on the side of the stage and see the bands that made me want to sing or scream, that’s cool. When you’re on a tour with bands that you like, it takes the boredom away from a long tour. 

Does touring with the bands who inspired you to be in a band influence or motivate you at all while you’re on the tour?

It definitely lights a fire under the band to tour with them. We’ve played with bands that have taken long breaks before, and to see someone go so long without an album that’s relevant to the public and come back or reinvent themselves, it’s inspiring. At this point, when we go two years without an album, we don’t expect people to remember our name. 

Is there any single person you’ve toured who you’ve watched perform night after night and felt like you’ve learned from as a fellow musician? 

In 2012, we toured with Craig Owens when he was with D.R.U.G.S., and just to see how he could come out and handle a room, I think I picked up a lot. We always want to focus on how we sound live and the energy coming both from us and from the crowd at the show. Touring with someone who can put on a show like Craig (Owens), it keeps you on your toes and keeps you at the top of your game.

Looking back on it, what advice would you give yourself when you were starting out?

If I had someone to tell me to stay persistent and maybe stay with one band, that would’ve been cool. This is my third national band, like with a label, and it all could’ve been one band. The music industry can be cutthroat, but bands reinvent themselves all the time. I wish I had realized that you can put out an album that the public thinks is bad, but it doesn’t mean it was a bad album. Even if it was a bad album, it doesn’t mean it was all bad. 

You’re a big video game player, how does that work with touring and everything else you do with the band?

I’ve met a lot of friends through touring, so there are groups of guys who will hop on at a certain time and escape from the grind of the real world. I have a travel case that I bring with a TV, and I bring my Playstation. I’ll play everything from NHL to Destiny. It keeps me busy when there’s down time.