Shadows Fall

Shadows Fall biography

Shadows Fall is an American metal band from Springfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. They are one of the few contemporary metal bands who take their lyrical influence from some references to the Rastafari culture. Although the band has experienced several line-up changes, for most of its recording career Shadows Fall has been composed of Brian Fair (vocals), Jonathan Donais (lead guitar), Matt Bachand (guitar), Paul Romanko (bass), and Jason Bittner (drums).

Shadows Fall have released six studio albums, two compilation albums, and two DVDs. The band's first album featured Philip Labonte on vocals, although he was soon replaced by Fair. Shadows Fall's first two studio albums featured David Germain playing drums, but in 2002 Bittner joined the band full time. In February 2008, the band was a Grammy Award nominee in the category Best Metal Performance for the song "Redemption" off the album Threads of Life. In late 2011, they entered the studio to record a new album. The album, Fire From the Sky, is set to be released on May 15, 2012, and is the first to be produced by Adam Dutkiewicz since the band's first studio release.

History

Formation and Somber Eyes to the Sky (1995-1997)

Shadows Fall was formed in 1995 by guitarists Jonathan Donais and Matt Bachand, then good friends from the local music scene. Bachand had perviously been a founding member of a death metal band and Donais a member of the metalcore band Aftershock. By 1996 the band had found a complete lineup with the addition of Damien McPherson (vocals), Mark Laliberte (bass), and David Germain (drums). Also in 1996, Adam Dutkiewicz performed live drums to fill in for Germain. By late 1996, the band recorded and released a demo titled Mourning a Dead World, of which only about 200 copies were produced. Now with a more solid lineup, the band released its first EP, To Ashes, with Dutkiewicz playing as a session drummer. The band's name, according to Bachand, comes from the title of a comic book published in the early 1990s.

Shadows Fall toured the New England area opening for artists such as Fear Factory and Cannibal Corpse. On November 30, 1997, the band released its first studio album Somber Eyes to the Sky, through Bachand's recording label, Lifeless Records.

Of One Blood (1998-2000)

In 1998, Labonte was asked to leave the band due to personal and artistic differences. He had ideas for a side project while a member of the band, and went on to form All That Remains. The band looked for a replacement vocalist and eventually recruited Brian Fair of the pioneering metalcore band Overcast. The band had been friends with Fair for years.

The Art of Balance (2001-2003)

Due to repeated comparisons with Gothenburg melodic death metal bands, Shadows Fall decided to change its style to find its own sound. Inspired by more thrash, hard rock and power ballad influences, the band recorded its third studio album, titled The Art of Balance. Released on September 17, 2002, the album peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Top Independent albums chart. Shadows Fall released three music videos to promote the album; "Thoughts Without Words", "Destroyer of Senses", and "The Idiot Box". The Art of Balance featured a cover of the Pink Floyd song "Welcome to the Machine." Andy Hinds of Allmusic stated the album is "a modern heavy metal album that is both brutal and highly musical, traditional yet forward-thinking", but criticized the placement of "Welcome to the Machine", stating the song "is stylishly well-executed, but seems a tad out of place nonetheless." Shadows Fall supported The Art of Balance by touring on Ozzfest in 2003.

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