A Shadow Over the Snickers Stage.
The Snickers Stage tent fills rapidly with the departure of KSE from the main stage. The usual band t-shirts can be seen- revealing an audience attracted to forceful, dramatic music that takes its influence from a wide range of sources.
And that's exactly what's on offer at the Snickers Stage this afternoon. Beginning with the kind of atmospheric introduction that is favoured by this kind of band, Shadows Fall then collide into the kind of guitar work you could hack apart a dead body to. Then, just as suddenly as the chaotic, blinding music starts, it twists on a squealing guitar and mutates into an entirely different sounding song. Shadows Fall do not remain still for long regardless of which album their songs are taken from. However, it's their newest album's content that really shows off their talented, mature approach to song writing. By no means though, are the songs from the past weaker- like the true metal artists they are, their older material is pulled up and raises the bar for the other bands playing today to rise to.
The crowd show no sign of thinning out with the approach of Nightwish's largest UK appearance and still continue to bellow out cheers of approval after each song. Heads nod, feet tap and punches are thrown nearer to the stage whilst comments are made about the technical ability of this talented, youthful band. Shadows Fall can offer something more to the festival goers who approve of genre crossing bands such as Killswitch Engage.
Shadows Fall may offer nothing new when it comes to audience interaction, but it doesn't matter when their music speaks such impressive volumes. Shadows Fall, once again slaughter all doubt that curious festival goers might have had about their musical ability.