Faultless
Shadows Fall return with their first album on Roadrunner Records; 'Threads Of Life'.
'Threads Of Life' is instantly recognisable as Shadows Fall although their music seems to have progressed and they now sound slightly like Metallica. Opening track 'Redemption' goes all out; it's packed full of hardcore aggression and heavy riffs. Somehow the sound encapsulates all aspects of their music and kind of acts like a four minute guide to Shadows Fall.
There is some incredible twin guitar shredding on this album as well as ferocious drumming, which perfectly show just why the band are becoming so popular.
The highlight of the album is 'Another Hero Lost' an emotion ballad about the death of Brian Fair's cousin, a US soldier who was tragically killed in Iraq last year. When you listen you will quickly realise that it is the most personal song that Fair has recorded. The other great thing about it is that he avoided giving it a political agenda, and instead it comes straight from the heart. As good as it is, you can't help but hope there won't be many more songs written about something like this. I would love to see Shadows Fall perform 'Another Hero Lost', I think it would send a shiver down the spine, and probably reduce all the girls in the audience to tears.
If you're not a fan of ballads fear not, 'Burning The Lives' is far more upbeat and features a pounding double bassline and some very impressive drum work. This album really shows off how versatile Fair's voice is, as he covers everything from melodic singing to angry shouts.
The production of this album is faultless, although true metal fans would probably prefer it if it was more gritty. It's nice to see Shadows Fall breaking some barriers and experimenting with their sound. After a long three year wait I think fans will be very pleased with 'Threads Of Life' when they get their hands on it.