Shadows Fall

The War Within

by Daniel Carafa

Rarely does a band go so quickly from underground favorite to overnight success, especially in the world of heavy metal.  Shadows Fall did just this and more.  Considered one of the leaders of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal, along with bands such as Lamb of God and Chimaira, the band’s rise seems meteoric since The War Within debuted at #20 on the Billboard album chart in early October, the highest entry ever for an act on the band’s label, Century Media.  

            “The Light that Binds,” one of the standout tracks, also opens the record.  It begins with a dual-guitar intro reminiscent of Slayer and breaks into a fast, crunchy blast-off.  The lead single is “The Power of I and I.”   Old-school Shadows Fall fans may be shocked to hear Brian Fair’s melodic singing in lighter songs like “What Drives the Weak” and “Inspiration on Demand,” the second and third singles.  “Enlightened by the Cold” and “Those Who Cannot Speak” are heavier songs that will please both new and old fans. 

            Consider the The War Within a major triumph for the band.  It successfully blends elements of 80’s metal like Iron Maiden with fellow Massachusetts’s metal favorites Unearth.  They could be credited with reestablishing heavy metal as an art form, when many felt it would never be able to recover.

            On the other hand, the lack of changes and lengthy songs will disappoint old-school fans, who also might not like the newly melodic vocals.  In an attempt to please their core audience while simultaneously expanding their fan base, the band has decided to take a step into the mainstream direction while holding on to what brought them to the dance in the first place.  The band will probably gain more fans than they lose, but the quality of the music has suffered.