Artist: Shadows Fall
Label: Century Media Records
Release Date: 9/21/04
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Title: The War Within Artist: Shadows Fall Label: Century Media Records Release Date: 9/21/04 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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4 | ||
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5 | ||
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5 | ||
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Abyss's Review:
Arguably one of the most influential bands in the contemporary metal scene, Shadows Fall have deserved the attention that has been bestowed upon them in the 'mainstream' metal community. Of course, all the 'underground' imps have given up on them, seemingly for the sole reason that other people found out about the band, but the rest of us have stayed along for the ride . . . from mentions on MTV News, to MTV2, to Ozzfest and beyond, this band has been an exciting focal point for the lovers of all that is heavy.And this is all coming from a guy who was ever so slightly disappointed in their last album. If you remember, I thought The Art of Balance was a great record, but it failed to live up to the standard set by its predecessor, Of One Blood. And even though I spent a great deal of time with the record, I listened to it far less often. But Shadows Fall did successfully avoid the 'sophomore jinx' (I realize it wasn't actually their sophomore effort, but it was their first widely anticipated record), and their star continued to rise.
"One word review: Killer." One of my biggest disappointments with the last record was the blatant attempt made at courting the mainstream. While that didn't ruin the album, it did keep them from reaching their potential. I'm happy to say that they've remedied their previous tendencies on The War Within, resulting in an improved sound.
That's not to say this isn't an accessible album. They've continued utilizing the emotional clean vocals, even giving them prevalence in some of the numbers, but they no longer sound forced - like there's someone over their shoulders telling them that a little more sorrowful contempt might get them on the radio. The band's sound hasn't changed much, but the songs seem a little more mature and a little less contrived.
And the truth of the matter is that this band is firing on all cylinders. What little criticism I can pile on them isn't much more than nitpicking. This band is basically doing everything right, frustrating the critic in me but exciting the fan. Sure I could say that some of the softer songs make me a little weary, but then I remember the fact that most of the songs hit like a hammer . . . and the songwriters pay attention to riff and use many in each song . . . and the guitarists actually remember the art of soloing, making a lead that serves as a segue but complements the song at the same time . . . and the list goes on.
This is a great album by a great band. It isn't often we're privy to such a display of talent and songwriting and integrity. One word review: Killer.
Death's Review:
I’ve been a huge Shadows Fall fan since Of One Blood first came out. The Judgment Committee reviewed Of One Blood on March 29, 2000, in advance of the album’s April 4, 2000, Century Media release, and all three of us gave it 5 skulls - thus, Shadows Fall got itself one of the first Metal Judgment perfect scores, a sure sign of future success for an up and coming band, right? See also Arch Enemy (perfect score 10/22/99); Opeth (perfect score 1/5/00); In Flames (perfect score 7/20/00); Lamb of God (perfect score 9/28/00). Damn right. If Abyss, Hel and I all think it kills, then trust me, it probably does.I know Abyss held back a skull this time, but I promise you this album indeed kicks ass. I do think it steps away from the Testament/Bay Area thrash worship we heard on the new classic The Art of Balance a notch (and in no universe can that ever be a good thing), and thus, it is a darker, more modern and ultimately catchier metal album overall. But there’s no disputing that, as always, the guitar playing is stellar, and the solos are flowing on The War Within like never before. Drummer Jason Bittner pounds his way further into the thrashy double-bass history books, and Brain Fair delivers the frontman goods once more. So all of the expected elements are intact.
"The War Within proves that Shadows Fall can and will be making great records for years to come." But the album also delivers its own newly-minted charms. This time the Shads up the ante with a well-crafted record that consciously and, for the most part, successfully cultivates the metal classics of yesteryear but only in the context of the defined Shadows Fall sound and modern melodic-death style. For example of this killer juxtaposition, consider that the album opens with an acoustic introduction a la “Battery” and then immediately launches into a massive, full-on electric classical-style sweep arpeggio before diving into an all-out Shadows Fall thrash attack. That should give you the basic idea of what’s in store. The great progression here is mostly in the songwriting. While I still have and always will have modern classics like “Destroyer of Senses” and “Thoughts Without Words” ringing in my head, new material like “Ghosts of Past Failures” and “What Drives the Weak” already have taken their own places amongst my Shadows Fall favorites.
So it is clear that Shadows Fall are poised to claim a permanent place in the all-time metal echelon and are about to break out huge. Soon enough, Shadows Fall will be too big of a band to be thought of as underground heroes. But take comfort in the fact that these guys are for real, and they very much “get it.” If Lamb of God are the new Pantera, Shadows Fall may be the new Metallica. Whatever they are, rest assured that they won’t let you down, they’re fans too and all they need to do is to keep on crafting metal albums for the ages the way their own heroes used to do back in the day. As it always does, if a band can achieve that status of musical excellence the rest will take care of itself. The War Within proves that Shadows Fall can and will be making great records for years to come.
Hel's Review:
Two years and an enormous amount of touring after the release of The Art of Balance finds Shadows Fall returning with another attempt to dominate CD players everywhere. The past two albums demonstrated their amazing musical ability and featured songwriting that was heavy, catchy and memorable. This trend continues upward on The War Within.
"They have indeed done it again." The twin guitar attack of Shadows Fall has become legendary, as has the amazing skill of their drummer. These are, of course, highlights of the new album, and are featured quite prominently in every song. The music is much the same as you have come to expect from the Shads, and I would wager that if you have been a fan of the band up until this point that you will not be even a little disappointed in this record.
My reviews of the other two albums tell the tale - I enjoy Shadows Fall. They were the first band I encountered that wrote and performed in this musical vein, and though there are now many, many more following in their footsteps, I believe they remain the best at what they do. They have indeed done it again. I look forward to seeing them back out on the road in the near future.
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