Jump to content

Shadows Fall

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 149.152.135.101 (talk) at 15:46, 25 March 2008. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Shadows Fall

Shadows Fall is an American heavy metal band formed in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1996. Although the band has experienced several lineup changes, for most of its recording career Shadows Fall has comprised of Brian Fair (vocals), Jonathan Donais (guitar), Matt Bachand (guitar), Paul Romanko (bass), and Jason Bittner (drums).

Since its formation, Shadows Fall has released five studio albums, two compilation albums, and one DVD. 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. The band is currently a Grammy Award nominee in the category Best Metal Performance for the song "Redemption" off the album Threads of Life.

History

Formation, Somber Eyes to the Sky, and Of One Blood

Shadows Fall formed in 1995 by guitarists Jonathan Donais and Matt Bachand with the help of Adam Dutkiewicz.[1] Donais and Bachand recruited vocalist Philip Labonte, and bassist Paul Romanko to complete Shadows Fall's original line-up.[1] The band released its first EP To Ashes, with Dutkiewicz playing as a session drummer. After the release of the demo Dutkiewicz left to form Killswitch Engage. David Germain joined the band as drummer, to fill the empty position.[1] Shadows Fall toured the New England area opening for artists such as Fear Factory and Cannibal Corpse. The newly formed band recorded its first studio album Somber Eyes to the Sky, in November 1997 through Bachand's recording label, Lifeless Records.[1] The band's name, according to Bachand, comes from the title of a comic book published in the early 1990s.[2]

Robert Alonge, and Andrew Mueller are their biggest fans. In 1998, Labonte left Shadows Fall to form a band called All That Remains. The band looked for a replacement vocalist and found Brian Fair at an Overcast concert. The band asked Fair if he would like to join Shadows Fall. Fair left Overcast and joined Shadows Fall as a full time vocalist.[1] While on tour Shadows Fall was signed to Century Media Records. The band recorded its second studio album Of One Blood with Fair on vocals in 2000, the release included re-recorded songs from Somber Eyes to the Sky. After the recording of the album Germain left the band, and was replaced by former Stigmata drummer Jason Bittner.[1]

The Art of Balance

Shadows Fall 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.[3] Shadows Fall released three music videos to promote the album; "Thoughts Without Words", "Destroyer of Senses", and "The Idiot Box".[4] The Art of Balance featured a cover of the Pink Floyd song "Welcome to the Machine". Steve Huey of All Music Guide 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."[5] Shadows Fall supported The Art of Balance by touring on Ozzfest in 2003.[6]

The War Within

Shadows Fall released its fourth studio album The War Within on September 21, 2004. It was the first release to enter the Billboard 200 for the band at number 20, and peaked at number one on the Top Independent albums chart.[3] In promotion for the album, Shadows Fall released four music videos over the course of one year; "The Power of I and I", "What Drives the Weak", "Inspiration on Demand", and "Enlightened By the Cold".[4] The song "What Drives the Weak" received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Metal Performance in 2006, however the award went to Slipknot for the song "Before I Forget".[7] "The Light That Blinds" was featured in the video game Guitar Hero II. Wade Kergan of All Music Guide praised the album stating the band has "grown beyond the confines of the metal-loving hardcore crowd anyway, with more in common now with the classic thrash of Metallica than the metal-tinged hardcore of Coalesce".[8] As of 2008, the album has sold almost 300,000 copies in the United States.[9]

Shadows Fall released its first DVD The Art of Touring in November 2005. The DVD included a live concert, backstage footage, and six music videos.[10] The band released its final CD on Century Media Records, titled Fallout from the War on June 13, 2006. Released as a compilation album, it debuted at number 83 on the Billboard 200. Fallout from the War included tracks recorded for The War Within that did not make it on to the album, b-sides, re-recordings, and cover songs. David Jeffries of All Music Guide claimed the album is "a great informal introduction to the ferocious and melodic witches' brew Shadows Fall always seems to nail."[11]

Threads of Life

Shadows Fall signed a deal with Atlantic Records to distribute the band's albums in the United States, and a deal with Roadrunner Records for international distribution.[2] The band released its fifth studio album Threads of Life on April 3, 2007. "Redemption", the first single from the CD was released on February 20, 2007 through iTunes with an accompanying music video.[12] "Redemption" received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Metal performance; the award ceremony will be held on February 10, 2008.[13] Thom Jurek of All Music Guide stated Shadows Fall has "lost none of the fire, attack or attitude" on Threads of Life. Jurek also said the album featured "killer guitar breaks, big fat chugging riffs, power-slam skin work, cattle prod bass, and cool little hooks and melodic touches on top of those bludgeoning riffs make Threads of Life a major label debut of merit, and a metal record worthy of celebrating."[14] Keith Bergman of Blabbermouth.net stated "Threads of Life is slick as hell."[15]

Shadows Fall toured in support of Threads of Life, including making appearances at the Jägermeister tour with Stone Sour and Lacuna Coil,[16] the Operation Annihilation tour with Static-X, 3 Inches of Blood, and Divine Heresy,[17] and the Black Crusade tour with Trivium, Machine Head, Dragonforce, and Arch Enemy.[18] The band will be part of the Soundwave tour in Australia and in Asia in February 2008, along with Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying, and Bleeding Through.[19]

Members

Former members

Discography

Main article: Shadows Fall discography

Awards and Nominations

Nominations

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Huey, Steve. "Shadows Fall biography - All Music Guide". All Music Guide. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
  2. ^ a b Epstien, Daniel Robert. "Shadows Fall interview". Ugo.com. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
  3. ^ a b "Shadows Fall - Artist Chart history". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
  4. ^ a b "Shadows Fall - Artist videography". Mvdbase.com. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
  5. ^ Huey, Steve. "(The Art of Balance)". All Music Guide. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
  6. ^ "Ozzfest alumini". Ozzfest.com. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
  7. ^ a b "48th Grammy Awards - 2006". Rockonthenet.com. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
  8. ^ Kergan, Wade. "(The War Within)". All Music Guide. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
  9. ^ "Shadows Fall biography - Atlantic Records". Atlanticrecords.com. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
  10. ^ Chad Bower. "Shadows Fall - The Art Of Touring DVD". Heavymetal.about.com. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
  11. ^ Jeffries, David. "(Fallout from the War)". All Music Guide. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
  12. ^ "Hear Shadows Fall's Single, "Redemption," Online". Metal underground.com. 2007-02-22. Retrieved 2008-01-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ^ a b "Rock And Metal Featured In 2008 Grammy Nominations". Metalunderground.com. 2007-12-06. Retrieved 2008-01-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ Jurek, Thom. "(Threads of Life)". All Music Guide. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
  15. ^ Bergman, Keith. "CD reviews - Threads of Life". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
  16. ^ "Stone Sour to Headline Spring Jagermeister Tour". Metalunderground.com. 2007-12-07. Retrieved 2008-01-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ "Operation Annihilation tour". Operationannihilationtour.com. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
  18. ^ "Shadows Fall Added To 'Black Crusade' European Tour With Machine Head, Trivium". Blabbermouth.net. 2007-06-16. Retrieved 2008-01-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ "Soundwave '08". MTV. Retrieved 2008-01-05.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shadows_Fall&oldid=200817175"