ok, well let's shift gears from all of the Sepultura/tribal metal for awhile and talk about a new release by one of my favorite new bands...Shadows Fall. I remember flipping through MTV a few years ago and seeing a video (shocking in itself, MTV playing a video) and I was blown away by the drums, guitar riffs, and most of all a solo that was short, but pretty killer. The video was 'Destroyer of Senses' from The Art of Balance. Well of course I went out and picked up the album. I was completely blown away. The music was a throw back to the classic years of thrash...think circa 86 - 90, awesome to say the least. Well, obviously I became an instant fan. Picking up their earlier album, Of One Blood, and then their latest The War Within. I will review the other albums later, but onto their latest The Fallout from the War.
This is an album that is basically leftovers from the writing sessions for The War Within, kinda like Load and Re-Load. Well the main difference is that this album is probably better than The War Within. Don't get me wrong, TWW was a solid album, but it was a little to catchy for me. But this thing...this sounds like it was written in between Of One Blood and The Art of Balance. What does this mean? Well the songs are completely brutal, the drumming is insane and the riffs are heavy and fast. Need proof listen to the intro of Going, Going, Gone or Will to Rebuild. Now keep in mind only the first 6 songs are new. The next 2 are re-recordings of earlier songs not released in the U.S. (although Deadworld was on Century Media's Identity 8 album) and the last 3 are cover songs. The new songs are solid thrashers. Don't expect catchiness or technical songs...minus the guitar solos of course. The re-recorded versions are ok, now I had Deadworld already and they kinda changed the intro and some other parts. It doesn't make it worse just different... ya know? The cover songs are great from the groove oriented December to the Anthrax sounding Mark of the Squealer, and finishing with a little glam cover...Teasin' Pleasin'.
Overall, this album is really great. I would have to say, once again, it's better than The War Within. I would say that if you are a fan of earlier Shadows Fall then this is for you. If you wanted more of TWW then you might have to wait until their next album.
Next time, an album that is possibly my favorite album of 2006...stay tuned.
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