Now that Shadows Fall is moving on to hopefully bigger and better things with a major label signing, their former label Century Media, who helped get them to where they are today, has worked with the band to put together and release Fallout From the War. This brand new release is intended to be a companion piece to their acclaimed The War Within album, and features songs that were left off that record. Eleven songs in total make up this album, with six original songs from The War Within sessions that did not make the cut for that album, two re-recordings of old Shadows Fall tunes, plus three fun cover songs.
Most will instantly hear the same vibe and power on the original songs here that they did on the band's 2004 platter, that being a killer mix of modern thrash, melodic death metal, and a slight splatter of nu-metal. Mostly though, these guys play a smoldering brand of thrash metal that is highly influenced by greats from the 80's like Metallica, Testament, Overkill, Exodus, and Anthrax, complete with blistering dual guitar leads, intricate, crunchy riffs, piledriver rhythms, and a mix of clean and gruff vocal styles. Highlights are numerous here, like the rampaging brutality of "Going, Going, Gone", the moody "Carpal Tunnel", or the metallic thrash mongers "In Effigy" and "Will to Rebuild". However, "Deadworld" is a real treat, a song that dates back to the beginnings of the band, newly re-recorded, and featuring plenty of Gothenburg styled twin harmony guitars and complex rhythms. Of the covers, hearing the band do "Teasin', Pleasn' " by 80's hair metal veterans Dangerous Toys is a real hoot, as the band totally switches gears and gets totally away from the thrash sound and digs into the original vibe of the song.
Overall, Fallout From the War is pretty solid stuff, and will be a good way to hold the fans over until their major label debut. I really like the fact that Shadows Fall and Century Media decided to do this project together which really shows that, despite the fact that they are moving on, they both show just how much they appreciate each other, and are offering the fans some songs that they might not have been able to hear otherwise. I think before long Shadows Fall will be right up there among Lamb of God as the leaders of the extreme metal world-let's wait and see.
Track Listing
1. In Effigy
2. Will To Rebuild
3. Haunting Me Endlessly
4. Seize The Calm
5. Carpal Tunnel
6. Going, Going, Gone
7. Deadworld
8. This Is My Own
9. December (Only Living Witness cover)
10. Mark Of The Squealer (Leeway cover)
11. Teasin', Pleasn' (Dangerous Toys cover)
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