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Fire from the Sky

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Untitled
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
About.com[2]
Allmusic[3]
Alternative Press[4]
Decibel[5]
Metal Injection[6]
Outburn Magazine
The Phoenix[7]
Revolver[8]
The NewReview[9]
Thrash Magazine[10]

Fire from the Sky is the seventh and most recent studio album by American heavy metal band Shadows Fall. The album was released on May 15, 2012. The band released the title track as the first single on March 28, 2012,[11] and the opening track, "The Unknown", as the second single on May 2, as well as a lyric video for the song.[12] About a week later, on May 10, the official music video for "The Unknown" was released through Vevo.[13] The video features the band playing in an abandoned warehouse. The album debuted at position no. 38 on the Billboard 200. It also debuted at number 85 in Canada.

Lyrical themes

Themes explored in Fire from the Sky include the apocalypse, chaos, doomsday, and the supposed events that may occur at the end of 2012, the end of the Mayan calendar.[14] Brian Fair made the following comment:

Fire From the Sky is not a concept album by any means, but a few common themes do link these songs together. These days, the world seems to be spiraling out of control into a frantic state of confusion, corruption and chaos. It's as if we are living under the shadow of an impending apocalypse. The songs on this album were inspired by this chaos and the struggle to find answers in these dark days.[15]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Shadows Fall

No.TitleLength
1."The Unknown"4:54
2."Divide and Conquer"3:05
3."Weight of the World"3:55
4."Nothing Remains"3:20
5."Fire from the Sky"4:55
6."Save Your Soul"3:53
7."Blind Faith"6:27
8."Lost Within"3:31
9."Walk the Edge"3:32
10."The Wasteland"4:05
Total length:41:42
Best Buy bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."Eternal Life"3:55
12."A Death Worth Dying"3:22
iTunes bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."The Light That Blinds" (Live)4:24
12."Failure of the Devout" (Live)5:22

Song meanings

The song "The Unknown" is about "the temptation to give into depression instead of fighting it,"[16][17] and is written from the viewpoint of someone who ultimately succumbed to the pressure.[18] "Divide and Conquer" talks about division between people, whether in politics or among friends, and how this division makes it harder to sustain things and come together as one.[17] The only resolution is to work together towards a better future. "Weight of the World" deals with doomsday and the end of the world approaching.[18] It also deals with the rapid growth of technology and concerns of technological singularity.

"Nothing Remains," a '70s rock influenced tune, is about the heroes we have lost that we looked up to.[19] "Fire from the Sky," reminiscent of early '90s death metal such as Morbid Angel, tells the story of a star going supernova and devouring planets. "Save Your Soul" deals with hanging onto unresolved problems. Becoming stuck in the past can eat away at someone, and "letting go" is often easier said than done.

"Blind Faith" is a political song, and addresses "society giving up too much control to the ruling elite",[16] and blindly following in the vein of paternalism.[20] The track "Lost Within" is about being inspired by a person or movement, and then later realizing this idealism is false. In other words, some role models become internalized and selfish, and sell out or develop materialistic motives. "Walk the Edge" is largely influenced by '80s glam metal, and contains a few riffs originally from the Retribution sessions. The song is about opiate addiction and the thin line between control and overdose.[16] For "The Wasteland," Fair was inspired by one of his favorite poems, The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot.[20] He also drew influence from the Book of Revelation to create an apocalyptic theme.

Personnel

References

  1. ^ "Shadows Fall: New Song Available For Streaming". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  2. ^ Bowar, Chad. "Shadows Fall - Fire From The Sky Review". About.com. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
  3. ^ Jurek, Thom. "Fire from the Sky - Shadows Fall". AllMusic. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
  4. ^ Slessor, Dan (June 2012). "Shadows Fall Fire From The Sky". Alternative Press. Vol. 287. p. 84.
  5. ^ Decibel. June 2012 edition.
  6. ^ Zalucky, James (May 15, 2012). "Album Review: Shadows Fall Fire From the Sky". Metal Injection. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
  7. ^ Christopher, Michael (May 22, 2012). "Shadows Fall | Fire From The Sky". The Phoenix. Retrieved May 22, 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ Geist, Brandon (April 30, 2012). "Review: Shadows Fall – Fire From the Sky". Revolver. Retrieved May 1, 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ Launderville, Hobbes (April 24, 2012). "Shadows Fall – Fire From the Sky". The NewReview. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  10. ^ "Shadows Fall 'Fire From The Sky'". Thrash Magazine. May 8, 2012. Retrieved May 10, 2012.
  11. ^ Ramirez, Carlos (March 29, 2012). "Shadows Fall, 'Fire From the Sky': Exclusive Online Song Premiere". Noisecreep. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
  12. ^ "Shadows Fall Premiere 'The Unknown' Lyric Video". PureVolume.com. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  13. ^ "Shadows Fall Release 'The Unknown' Music Video". Guitar World. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
  14. ^ Ramanand, Liz (May 1, 2012). "Shadows Fall Frontman Brian Fair Talks New Album 'Fire From The Sky' + More". Loudwire. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  15. ^ "Shadows Fall: 'Fire From The Sky' Track Listing Revealed". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  16. ^ a b c "Shadows Fall: About". Facebook. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  17. ^ a b "Album Review: Shadows Fall - Fire From the Sky". Sedatephobia Magazine. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  18. ^ a b "Shadows Fall Fire From The Sky Track By Track Pt. 1". Metal Injection. May 7, 2012. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  19. ^ "Shadows Fall Fire From The Sky Track By Track Pt. 2". Metal Injection. May 10, 2012. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  20. ^ a b "Shadows Fall Fire From The Sky Track By Track Pt. 3". Metal Injection. May 14, 2012. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
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