Metal Reviews

They are touring with As I Lay Dying, I haven't heard any of their music but they are supposed to be ok, there will also be some crappy little metal band from the north coast of NSW (you'll know where I mean if you are from Aus), I hope As I Lay Dying won't detract from the show too much, I can't wait to hang out with the band afterwoulds...

Ya, As I Lay Dying are pretty bad. But the worst will be Shadows Fall's upcoming tour with Slipknot.. eww. But they definitely have an excellent live show and you will have fun hanging out with them after the show.

As I lay Dying actually fits pretty well with Shadows Fall ! most metalcore bands are basically hardcore band using the metal sound.. imo, AILD is a metal band using hardcore elements... just what's needed not to make it too encumbering but efficient... some might not like the combination but it works for me... anyway, it's way better than Slipknot !

anything would be better than klipsnot, the only thing that can save that tour is the fact that not only is Shadow's Fall touring with them, so is LoG!!!

this album is probably the best album the metal/hardcore scene has managed to throw up so far, even though this is more of a thrash album. I think that Shadows Fall will eventually be rid of all hardcore influence and become a straight-out kick arse thrash metal band. I wonder who will be in the next Big 4?

Bleh... This one was a step down from the Art of Balance. If anything, they got less thrash and more metalcore with this release. Still quite a good album.

I was a still a big fan when this album came out, and initially I thought it was great, but after repeated listens it just didn't hold up. It was missing something, it was way too polished, there was no soul.

Not that it will ever happen, but I think Matt should take over lead vocals. That would rule...assuming of course that they start writing inspired material again.

Yeah, I really liked this album when it came out but now I pretty much don't like it much at all.

Oh, I remember those wild orgies we had back in the day at the Shadows Fall message board....

But ya. This album can't hold up to Of One Blood, Art of Balance or even Somber Eyes. It does have several excellent songs, though.

One of the worst albums I've ever had the displeasure of hearing.

It amazes me that this band gets the partial thrash label, but Trivium is metalcore! Trivium and Shadows Fall are virtually identical in style.

Those were the days

And Eyesore, the new album may share the polished production and lackluster riffing of Trivium, but as Brahm said this was a step back in terms of thrash. The base of this record is more metallic hardcore, like trivium and friends, but if you can actually listen to a song like Stepping Outside the Circle and say that it sounds like Trivium, or that there is no thrash influence there...then you obviously are even more out of your mind than I may have previously imagined.

You're very sweet. I think I love you.

Anyway, I'm not saying there is no thrash in what Shadows Fall play, there definitely is! The same goes for Trivium, but everyone dismissed that as crazy talk. Yes, there is metalcore/hardcore roots in both bands, but there's also a good dose of thrash and traditional metal, as well, even some death metal at times.

Jumping on the bandwagon with both feet... and a hand as well.

Really, this album is lame. I don't listen to any of my Shadows Fall albums anymore. They're no good. Vocals are horrible, riffs are predictable, and up until this CD, the drums were fucking stupid. Just the same double-bass pattern throughout a whole song and no variation at times. Not a single fill.

I still like maybe three Shadows Fall songs... and no, it's not because I don't like metalcore anymore, I still listen to Unearth and Lamb of God. It's just that SF suck.

Okay i really glorified that waaay too much. It's a decent album if you can stand Brian Fair constantly using the same yell throughout most songs. The melodies are awesome though, i think they should concentrate more on the melodic side. Although, going in a more melodic direction is pretty much the norm for most mainstream bands these days, eg Mudvayne (yuk), Slipknot( a couple of the new songs are ok), Trivium(still can't fully get over ascendancy), Killswitch (come on, AOJB was brutal in comparison to the newie), etc.

backpedal backpedal

don't turn your back on a band just because WE don't like it; that sucks even more than listening to metalcore

Hey Lizardtail, let's all pretend to love Anal Cunt in another thread and see if Ozzie_metaller picks up on it.

Stop changing your opinions because we disagree with them!

In any case, I enjoy Shadows Fall. Hopefully their next album will be better, which they're writing at the moment.

Good album, but not legendary. I've only had it for a few days, but have listened to it at least twice daily and it's not grabbing me as yet. I feel that there's a lack of a leading hook into a huge chorus here and songs are a bit too samey.

I'm currently into Dragonforce's Inhuman Rampage which has no bearing on this style of 'metalcore', and (yes I'll hear you scream full throated at this waffle), DF too, are very samey in their power metal madness, but they manage to break up the assault by keeping it interesting with throwing in mad variations with the use of scyths, bass solos etc, and I feel that this album (War Within) would have benefitted from similar lunacy!

But this is minor criticism as there is plenty here to warrant having this album in your collection, although judging by today's 'popular' metal, Trivium and Bullet for my Valentine have aped SF's sound and are making megabucks. Unfortunately, without more drastic pioneering and variation SF will be seen as the unmentioned pioneers of the new trend to be screamy, screamy, melody, screamy, bridge, solo, melody, scream!

luckily I doubt there are any fields in which Shadows Fall could be considered pioneers.