Shadows Fall

My Boyfriend loves this cd I got it for him for his birthday. He is into heavy weightlifting and him and his friends just rock out to it. Excellent buy

Wanna lift heavy? Wanna feel like a real man? Put this on your MP3 player! And I'm a girl :) but my man listens to it and he has really uped his iron.

the shipping was fast. the cd is awesome. i listen to it all the time.

This is one of the better soundtracks out there, not like most where you get the odd track you know, It has a very good mix of bands and a few new bands too me. Great CD.

as always i was happy with the fast delivery.the cd is excellent good music to motivate for tose hard workouts.

I had stayed out of the metal scene for a while cause I thought it sucked with slow bands without solos. This album, along with some others, is what brought me back into metal. This album blew my mind away. Every song on it is awesome. NOT just mindless screaming or riffs that don't go anywhere or solos that sound like the guitarist didn't even listen to the song before playing it. It's melodic, heavy, fast, it will melt your face off.

Please read my title before immediatly disagreeing with my ideas please. thank you. Now on to my review.

When i first got this album i was a little nervous because of all the negative comments on amazon. But i figured that i've liked other shadows fall songs so i gave it a try. I gave this one play and i was bored out of my mind. The second time i was a little impressed with some intricate melodies. The third time i was pretty much singing along on some of the choruses and head banging for the most part. And by the fourth time i realized that i was TOTTALLY into this band. I mean whats not to like? (don't answer that question). I've read the other reviews and it says that the main problem is that there isn't alot of diversity between the songs. I can agree with you on some parts of that statement. But it'd be very misleading to others if i say that that was a completely true statement. The last 2 songs and 'the light that blinds' were pretty similar to me and i didn't find it very interesting when i wasn't listening to it. But i realized that when i'm listening to this album i'm head banging and singing along. Its hard to explain but when you are not listening to the song you don't really know what kind of song it is and you completely forget but when you are listening to it you get that feeling in your heart thats ready to pounce out. Its really hard to explain but you gotta get this off itunes or something where its cheap cuz this is one killer album thats pretty damn good.

Tracks:

Light that Blinds ***
Enlightened by the cold ****
Act of Contriction ***
What Drives The Weak ****
Stillness ***
Inspiration on demand ****
The Power of I and I ****
Ghost of Past Failures ***
Eternity is within ***
Those who cannot speak ***

So overall this album is very strong. With some stronger melodies over others, this album is jam packed with awesome riffs, pounding drums and freakishly awesome basslines that just never give up. Great album that i think every metal head will enjoy.

I have been and always will be grateful for Of One Blood. That album gave me hope in metal again, and includes some of the most well thought out lyrics and music of the decade. After being a bit disappointed with The Art of Balance, Shad slaps my face again with The War Within. From beginning to end this album puts a smile on my face. The bookends of the album are really the highlights. The Light That Blinds and Those Who Cannot Speak are masterpieces only exceeded by a chunk of Of One Blood. There are some weak spots (What Drives the Weak, Stillness), but even those are still thrash-worthy. Highly recommended.

I bought this cd a few years back because of all the hype surrounding it. Well I finally listened to it two years later, and I was very impressed. Great cd and looking foward to there newest cd. A bit of a side note to; When I attended the Unholy Alliance tour last summer in Lowell Mass, Lamb of God was performing a song. Randy said ladies and gentlemen, Brain from Shadows Fall! The crowd went completely crazy. He growled something out for about two seconds and ran off the stage. It was cool, although it only lasted not even five seconds.

I was lucky enough to catch these guys two nights, two shows, opening for MuDvAnYe in 2005. Now I will admit, I wasn't the hugest fan until I was able to see them live, so much f***ing energy, it was incredible. Am now a very devoted fan. Also check out anything that Trivium puts out, they played the same two shows, awesome time!!!

I don't understand how bands get away with this. Every album sounds the same. War Within was a great album but this is so watered down. What happened? And some review said that Brian can sing well. Are you kidding me????? He is a below average singer and it works well with them. That's all. Not great. It is what it is. But this album is not good by any means.

I have no idea how a band signs to a major label only to dissapear....as another reviewer mentioned, they sold way more with no push on an indie label....things that make you scratch your head, I guess that is the music business in a nutshell. One of the best releases of the last year, it's just a shame they didnt get more out of this CD.
I'd also recomend the Skinlab's new live cd as well, SkinnedAlive...another great overlooked band.

This CD is the best of the band's career....I understand the sales are way off their indi label CD's, but the major seemed to do nothing other than to say that 'they have them'...and spent a huge amount of money doing so.....but what did they do to let people HEAR the band....this CD to me sounds like the CD Metallica could have made and naturally progressed to after Master of Puppets....check it out folks, a great peice of work. Also check out the new Skinlab live CD that comes out the end of April, Skinnedalive!....another example of a great band that somehow got lost int he shuffle of label politics!

It's hard in the current metal world to stand out amongst the competition, so when a band manages to break a rule or two, it's worth noting.
Springfield, Massachusetts' Shadows Fall have been around for several years now, and have a secret weapon at their disposal - Brian Fair, a vocalist who can actually sing and carry a tune. This is no small feat when you consider most metal vocalists today sound like they're participating in a puking contest. The grunt sound is old and getting very tiresome.
Not that Fair doesn't do his share of gargoyle roars, but when he does sing, it's a strong melodic voice, and even has (gasp) harmonies!!
"Another Hero Lost" is a welcome departure, with real honest to goodness melody and a good guitar hook. The remainder of "Threads Of Life" abound with thrash tempos and jackhammer rhythm guitars, and some damn fine lead work.
"Threads Of Life" and its predecessor "The War Within" are among the best of newer material out there, but as evidenced on the bonus CD that came with "The War Within", featuring five cuts from five different bands, this genre is in a rut overall, as the five bands all sound alike. Better get back to studying the classic riffs of the '60's and '70's so you can mold your own sound if you want to stand out. Shadows Fall have figured that out.

I do like Shadows fall. But I havent herd anything really chang since Art Of Balance. There not one of those bands that can just Grind your head off (even thats gets old sometimes) I fell that If I want to hear them I would rather hare Art of Balnce. Plus I fell there a bit overated. Their nowwhere near Bands like Old Metalica Death Slayer Even win I did hear Art of Balance I never thought it was there. I thought in time but now that thought seems to be a disappointment

My friend had been telling me about these guys for awhile, but I never really listened to them or looked 'em up. Man was I missing out. If you want pure, American, no bull, heavy/speed/thrash metal, look no further. These guys can shred like no other. They are leading the forefront of NWOAM for a reason. They ROCK! They're complex and intricate arrangements should leave any metalhead in satisfaction and wanting more. I sure did after hearing this. This album greatly mixes melody with brutality and aggression. They show off their acoustic skills on the two instrumentals- Casting Shade and Prelude To Disaster. The later sounds like there is a crackling fire in the background (quite soothing).

There are also clean vocals on many of the choruses which sound excellent. Most notably would be on Thought Without Words and Stepping Outside The Circle with Matt Bachand screaming and Brian Fair cleanly singing. It makes for an excellent mix. The title track is mostly acousticly oriented, but gets heavier as it goes on. Favorites would include Thoughts Without Words, Mystery Of One Spirit, and A Fire In Babylon, which is the only epic on here and a great one. I love every song on here, but if I had to choose least favs. I would say The Idiot Box and the Pink Floyd cover- Welcome To The Machine. I think A Fire In Babylon would have been a much better way to end the album off on. All things considered, I see this as being a modern day classic, along with the likes of Lamb of God's Ashes of the Wake.

Shadows Fall are one of this day and ages bands that keep true metal alive. If you want some good modern day thrash esque speed metal, go with The Art of Balance.

This album is usually heralded as Shadows Fall's best (actually Of One Blood) and most complete (actually The War Within), but this falls short in that it sounds like a thrash compilation. There are too many influences dominating this album to make it exciting or cohesive. There are some great songs (The Mystery of One Spirit, A Fire in Babylon, Stepping Outside the Circle), but overall it seems like at an attempt at greatness that just does not get there. Of One Blood was that acheivement, and the follow-up to greatness is found in The War Within.

Once upon a time there was a band named Metallica who found inspiration in the NWOBHM and created a new genre, becoming legends in the process. Ever since they forgot what they learned and began writing for radio, fans and critics alike have hoped for Metallica's second coming. Not only have they arrived in my opinion, but they've been here for years. They are called Shadows Fall and the albums that have made a believer out of me are Of One Blood and their latest, The Art Of Balance.

"Idle Hands", the galloping mid-tempo mauler of an opener, instantly made it clear to me just how important this band can and should become. As with Metallica's early work, the magic and efficiency of the NWOBHM can be heard, but instead of filtering it through Motorhead, Shadows Fall burn it to a blackened crisp. The Art Of Balance is a Rainbow Bridge that links the metal of the early 80's to the metal of the 90's and beyond. "Mystery Of One Spirit" which plays In Flames' hand only to trump them by invoking Iron Maiden and Accept halfway through, exemplifies this band's mission.

New classics jump out from around nearly every corner. "Thoughts Without Words" absorbs the infectious, funky misery of Down towards the middle and expunges it via the cold machinery of Meshuggah. "Destroyer Of Senses" absolutely shatters with its nasty, reverberating riffage, and the stirring penultimate track "A Fire In Babylon" succeeds as a philosophical and timely epic that Rush might have thought of had they formed in Britain circa 1980.

However, The Art Of Balance is a slightly flawed gem to me. I would have preferred the songs to be entirely done with the clean vocals which recall James Hetfield. The rough vocals don't really detract much, but I get the vague feeling the record would have levelled the joint even more without them. I also felt that the reworked version of "Stepping Outside The Circle" was ever so slightly inferior to the version found on the band's Deadworld EP. One other minor problem I had was with the band's merely serviceable cover of Pink Floyd's "Welcome To The Machine". I would have preferred and expected a band as inspired as Shadows Fall to pay homage to their fiercely metallic roots instead of remaking a song which has been well worn by rock radio.

But those missteps aside, I am thoroughly enjoying The Art Of Balance for its craftsmanship, its intelligent songwriting, its marvelous guitar work, its thoughtful lyrics, its modern yet vintage riffery, and for the fact that it truly lives up to its title. Crusades have begun with lesser works than these. Here's hoping that Shadows Fall never stray from the path.

I gave The War Within 5 stars. I was disappointed with The Art of Balance. War Within had more of what I was looking for, for instance, good riffs and more melody. The Art of Balance strikes me as being a little weak compared to The War Within. I gave TAOB 3 stars because the Pink Floyd cover (Welcome to the Machine) was very good. Other than that TAOB has few redeeming qualities in my opinion.

I picked up this one on a recommendation from a friend of mine. He is a true metalhead, and for the most part, he can't stand "metal" that had come about in the last 10 or more years and neither can I. So when he recommended Shadows Fall and told me that they were one of the few modern metal bands that he really likes I had to check them out. I am defintely impressed.
What immeditately hooked me was the riffing. The guitars have that classic 80s style metal vibe with all the great hooks and melodies that I love about thrash metal. It maintains what classic metal is all about without sounding like a cover band, but also manages to be new and innovative without going into "Nu" territory.
The vocals are one of the most interesting things about this band. The songs go from melodic vocals to thrash metal vocals to death metal vocals and it all sounds awesome. I know that the guitarists contribute to the vox as well as the lead singer, so I am not sure who contributes the different styles, but it's all great.
If you haven't heard Shadows Fall and you like thrash metal, you should definitely check them out. Standout tracks are "Stepping Outside the Circle," "Idiot Box" and "A Fire in Babylon."

Its ok if you like leftovers I guess. But to say this is SF best album is a joke. Art of Balance has crushing drums and guitars this one sounds like it was made in an hour. Even of one blood is better.

Im a fan of shadows fall im let me tell you this is the best album they had done.songs like winter shows how great this band are.
this album even that is a B side material is much better that war within. buy this album

People seem to shun EPs as not "real" albums, but this EP knocks you upside the head. The songs are strong and vintage Shad. Seize the Calm, Will to Rebuild, and Going, Going, Gone lead the way. Carpal Tunnel puts Shad in a new form that I like. The cover songs are fun with Only Living Witness' "December" taking the cake and getting much deserved props. Haunting Me Endlessly does haunt me endlessly and is the dud of the album. Also revamped earlier work is awesome (though older version of Deadworld are better). Nice indeed.

Is it just me, or does every CD get some Amazon reviews with words like "Best yet!" or "Best since *name of some old classic of theirs*"

This is not Shadows Fall's best. Not by a long shot. In fact, it might be their worst if you treat it like a full length album.

Just because it's not really a full length album - it's more a collection of random pieces here and there. Not really B-sides, but more sort of "Oh, yeah, here's a little more." In Effigy and Going, Going, Gone are the gems here, but aside from that, this is all very disorganized.

Of course, The War Within was one of the best metal records in a while and that's the good news - with an album as good as that was, the left-overs and "Oh, yeah, what about this..." tracks are better than they'd be otherwise.

But cut the hype. 3 stars because I keep putting the CD in to hear "In Effigy" again.

Shadows Fall have been one of my favorite bands for quite a while now, and I really enjoy listening to them alot. I bought their new album "Fallout from the War" over the weekend, and I really love it. This album is a great follow up to their previous album "The War Within", and it's more heavier and thrash oriented as well. It's also the best album they've done thus far. On this album, there are six brand new songs that were written during "The War Within" sessions, Re-recorded versions of Japanese B-sides and early songs, and some blistering covers to boot. The opening thrasher "In Effigy" immediately gets the ball rolling and the intensity never lets up from that point on. This was the first song I heard on here, and it's also my favorite song as well. Another one of my favorite songs on here "Going, Going, Gone" is an absolute in your face thrasher with merciless riffs and inhuman double bass drumming that will just beat the listener to a bloody pulp. Other songs I reall like on here include: "Will to Rebuild", "Carpal Tunnel" "Deadworld", "Haunting Me Endlessly", "December", "Mark of the Squealer", and "Seize the Calm". On this album, you've got awesome vocals from Brian Fair, smoking leads and blistering solos from lead guitarist Jon Donais, awesome heavy rhythm guitarwork from Matt Bachand, nice hearable bass lines from Paul Romanko, and of course there's that awesome double bass drumming from Jason Bittner.
Jeremy's song ratings:
1. In Effigy - 5/5 (Favorite song)
2. Will to Rebuild - 5/5
3. Haunting Me Endlessly - 5/5
4. Seize the Calm - 5/5
5. Carpal Tunnel - 5/5
6. Going, Going, Gone - 5/5
7. Deadworld - 5/5
8. This is my Own - 5/5
9. December (Only Living Witness cover) - 5/5
10. Mark of the Squealer (Leeway cover) - 5/5
11. Teasin', Pleasin' (Dangerous Toys cover) - 5/5

Overall this is a great album. If you're a fan of Shadows Fall, you must own this album. If you don't like them, that's just fine with me, I really don't care what you think. So just do yourself a big favor, buy this album now along with the new Slayer album "Christ Illusion" too. Also be sure to look out for upcoming releases by Lamb of God and Megadeth as well. HAPPY HEADBANGING!!

This was my first Shadow's Fall record. My buddy saw them live around 2001 with a bunch of other bands and dug the live set but wasn't as into the record so he passed it on to me and I've been a huge fan ever since. I really like the mixing of gallops and breakdowns and screaming and singing. The changes, the drumwork, the energy..this band is just plain top notch. Lately it seems as if they've begun to sound the same a lot of the time which saddens me a little even though all of their records crush. Anyway I listen to a lot of different kinds of music, not just metal. Anything from Johnny Cash to NWA. In terms of metal I really like Slayer (mid 80s to early 90s), Tool, Pantera, Down, Helmet ( list goes on). This has to be in my top three all time metal records and I (being the dolt that I am) doubted that such an already classic record could be improved much because the original is less than 10 years old even though their newer records all sound pristine compared to this one. It's not like they recorded it on two track or anything. THE DIFFERENCE IS NIGHT AND DAY. Believe me when I tell you that if you love the original version of this record that the new one will flat out drop you.

This album is excellent, but did take a little getting used to because of the sketchy production and its grind/death style. I'm a little more into grindcore now than i was back then, (Between the Buried and Me's new album "Colors" is phenomenal)so I would appreciate this more now.
Reviewers definitley have been right on about the production but they were on a little indie label in 97' and still working in malls so its understandable. Regardless, the musicianship shines thru as some of the best work they've ever done.
Something better about Shadows Fall back then was their singer, Phil Labonte of All That Remains. He is a MUCH better singer than Brian Fair, Fair couldn't hold a candle to Phil. And All That Remains is a much better band in my opinion, if you like the vocals on this, you'll definitley dig All That Remains' albums "This Darkened Heart" and "Fall of Ideals", both are amazing in different ways. The instrumental on This Darkened Heart called "Regret Not" has to be one of the best metal instrumentals I've ever heard. Peace, I'm out.

If your a fan of All That Remains, you MUST own this cd. Not that it sounds like ATR, but hearing Phil at such a young age is priceless. As for a Shadows Fall fan, its still good. Being mixed by Adam D. of Killswitch, the mix on this album is somewhat...'mushy' oddly enough. Then again, this was recorded in '97, so some leeway should be given. Evidence of death vocals is prominent on this album, for fans of "The Weak Willed" and "Six" by ATR, so the vocals should tickled your fancy. The first 5 tracks are the best on the disc, and show a wide range of musical talent and range. Overall, this record should be picked up. It holds up for fans of both bands alike.

This was a shot in the dark for me. I was looking for some fast, new, death metal to cure my teen angst and musical need, and I listened to a sample of one of the tracks. I heard fast guitar and double bass and that was it for me (I didn't care about singers back then) I got it right away. I thought it was good, a poor recording job and really weird vocals. Then after a few weeks I got more metal and hardcore from my friends (you know, the kind with singing you can't understand and hella fast riffs? ah, the best) and I started to like that stuff more. I listened to the CD again and I was entertained for months! And I still am now that I'm experianced in metalcore and "screamo."

There are killer guitar riffs from the great Matt Bachand and Jonathan Donais duo, heavy bass that sounds so cool (you can actually hear it in this metal band!) and awesome drums that blend with the other instruments. The vocalist (I hear he's in All That Remains now) is 10 times better than that Brian Fair in the other Shadows Fall albums. This guy sounds like an effing monster! His screams and growls are straight from the gut and amplified in the throat, almost gargley, I have no idea how to describe it, just awesome and like no other singer you'll find.

All the songs are great. There's only 10 of them but the pack a punch. Revel in My Loss sounds like Unholy Confessions by Avenged Sevenfold but pure metal. Pure is a nice, pleasant song even while the singer and guitar players are screaming in your ears. Lead Me Home is a beautiful acoustic instrumental that took me forever to give it a chance. Fleshold has a melodic singing intro and chorus then just bursts into a thrashing opening riff and awesome main riff. Eternal is great... Same with Suffer the Season. Somber Angel has an accoustic intro then starts with an extremely fast guitar thrashing... It's just a dark, heavy song. Then Lifeless is the perfect finale with the singers roaring and even some singing.

Sorry about how long this took, hope it helped, just check out this CD! Also good bands: Ruins of Eden(only on Myspace), This Side of the Nightmare (Myspace too), Behemoth, American Head Charge, All Shall Perish, Walls of Jericho, Slipknot, Lamb of God, As I Lay Dying, Mudvayne, and Avenged Sevenfold. My myspace is (myspace address)/Jam_lee.

This is Shadow's Fall debut release, and it's not very good. You'll probably listen to this once or twice, but for long term listening, you're much better off going with "The Art Of Balance". Don't waste your money on this...

Often, listeners of music make the mistake of purchasing only that platinum album with that one hit single. They follow a trend without identifying the musicians as artists with a past. Somber Eyes to the Sky, recorded by Shadows Fall in 2000, is a primary example of a musical masterpiece that did not receive recognition until after the band became mainstream. The album offers melody coupled with perfectly violent thrash.
Somber Eyes to the Sky as recorded by the original band, Shadows Fall, diverges from the group's current musical style. However, the work still offers the listener an idea of the onslaught of thrash metal the group will later produce. A more recent album by Shadows Fall, The Art of Balance portrays the same energy and musical capabilities as Somber, but is not as unrefined in the recording methods, the vocals, or the music itself. While the The Art of Balance exhibits musical control, Somber captures the raw side of Shadows Fall. Still, the group produces brilliant melodies that are calming and refined. For instance, Lead Me Home gives a depiction of the band's ability to utilize acoustics and harmony. Revel in My Loss, however, comprises of forceful rifts and drums creating metal that is enjoyable.
Because the band traded vocalist Philip Labonte for Brian Fair, there is a transition in the musical style and the lyrics.
I was fortunate to witness this band at Ozzfest and admired their energetic stage presence and music. Although this band is often classified as metal, the music is not merely metal. It is melodic, inspiring, and fun. Some of their works may be likened to Pantera or early Metallica.

I was going to give this 4.5 stars considering the genre but why penalize them just because they're harsh? To my ears they were the first to really combine growly male vocals with clean male vocals, as well as thrash tempos and Maidenesque guitar harmonies. I first heard this CD back in 2000 and it just keeps sounding better and better. Other bands like Kill Switch Engaged (who I also like) try for this sound but come up short. Musically Avenged Sevenfold and Trivium come close but they can't combine the vocal tension/contrast demonstrated here. The subsequent CDs released by this band don't quite measure up but they are still solid. Melodically the closest thing I can think of is Arch Enemy's "Burning Bridges" but it doesn't have the vocal counterpoint of this CD. There isn't a single song on here that I'd skip.

By far the best Shadows Fall album. To start with, there is no Jason Bittner on this CD (which almost makes this the best by default), meaning an absence of the aggravating dual-kick the subsequent three discs employ. The drumming on these songs does involve double-kick, but only where needed.
Anyway, back to the album. The songs are also made stronger by the relative absence of pinch harmonics, as well as better-planned acoustic passages. The riffs are heavier and sound much more intense; the same difference applies to the more DM-oriented vocal sound. Songs like "Crushing Belial", "Of One Blood", "The First Noble Truth", and "Root Bound Apollo" are all full of great guitar parts and merciless hooks, but the best and most epic song is "To Ashes". Loaded with emotion, tasteful nuances, and beautiful quiet parts, it makes the album totally worth its cost. Though the production is a little flawed, the music quality far overpowers the recording idiosyncracies. It's unfortunate to see their songwriting deteriorate in the albums after this one.

OK I am a big fan of shadows fall and i think this is a great album but being objective, shadows fall show us how to make the NWOAHM, i can't give them 5 stars because sometimes brian fair abuse of excecive screams and this is not a death metal album, but the guitars mat and jon sounds very acoplated and powerfull. I can tell you that if you really love the actual scene of metal, this cd it's a must have. Buy it and enjoy it.

On their second record, Shadows Fall began to artfully blend their thrash influences with hard/metalcore. Guitarists Jonathan Donais and Matt Bachand build a wall of bullying, iron-metal riffs and careening solos while vocalist Brian Fail alternates from yelling to deep growling. Even though the guitarists dabble with acoustic guitars (on tracks one, six, and nine), and Brian is capable of singing cleanly and somewhat melodically, the dual guitar attack is explosive enough to make "Of One Blood" one of this Boston quintet's heaviest albums. Jonathan's guitar solos are not very technical, but his and Matt's nimble riffing often brings Metallica's heyday to mind. On most songs, the guitarists seem to be almost competing against each other, and the songs gain density and speed as the riffs build off one another. "Of One Blood" wastes no time getting to the thick of things: "Pain Glass Vision" is very fast, with rapid, propulsive guitar shredding. Tracks four and nine have rocketing rhythms with super speedy, almost blinding guitar noise, and "Fleshold" and "Revel In My Loss" are very catchy, with rhythmic, chugging riffs. My personal favorite song, however, is track six, "Root Bound Apollo," which has several different tempos (including an acoustic guitar breakdown), and a classical sounding solo. The only downside to "Of One Blood" is that it, initially, sounds quite thin and dated. But, fortunately, the further you listen to this album, the less you will be annoyed by the shoddy production. No matter what genre this is, it's a great album from one of the first and best modern thrash/thrashcore bands. If you enjoy the other New Wave of American Heavy Metal groups that have cropped up since Shadows Fall, you will doubtlessly like this C.D. a lot, too.

I have been wanting to write a review for this album for a long time. This is perhaps my favorite metalcore CD ever. The band really blends well with Brian Fair, and the melodic singing is introduced at the right parts to make a perfect mix. It really is absolutely amazing, and must be heard for the first four tracks alone. If you are new to metalcore, this is the perfect place to start. If you are already a metalcore fan, and you don't own this, you should definitely think about it.