Shadows Fall - Fire From the Sky (2012)Release ID: 5395
New Wave of American Heavy Metal is a metal movement that has been both shrinking and growing in the mid-2010s. A few new bands come in, some pioneering bands are still around like Lamb of God and Machine Head, and other old bands end up splitting up. Some of the split-up bands disband permanently like God Forbid (Why?! They were so awesome!) and Chimaira (except for a one-time reunion), while others like Bleeding Through have a few-year hiatus and come back with more material. Sadly, Shadows Fall had to go as well. Well, not go away forever, but just end up taking an extensive hiatus, with their last shows as late as 2015/2016. I really hope they reunite soon and, even better, reunite with former vocalist Phil Labonte, while still keeping Brian Fair, to play some songs from the Somber Eyes to the Sky era. Wishful thinking, but possible....
After the more intense and thrashy sound of Threads of Life and Retribution, Fire From the Sky is what I believe to be a full return to their successful equal balance to thrash and metalcore. Many of the band members have upped the game to insanely greater levels, including drummer Jason Bittner with his impressive double-bass rolls and brilliant blast beats. The songs themselves are up to their essential standards, putting together a well-arranged album.
The album starts off perfectly with "The Unknown" one of the best Shadows Fall songs ever. Shredding licks, a singable chorus, dual vocals, and superb song structuring, this song has them all and is how a lot of the album goes. "Divide and Conquer" continues this momentum with an infectious refreshing groove. Brian Fair has some dreadfully (in a clever way) pronounced vocals in "Weight of the World".
"Nothing Remains" shows a great obvious example of dual vocal attack. The title track is a more outstanding song with a dark atmosphere and touches of death metal, bringing back some melodeath memories. It equally balances out shred and groove, along with singing and screaming. "Save Your Soul" and "Blind Faith" has a good amount of speed, with the latter song being the album's over 6-minute epic. After the intro building up from acoustic to electric, the song unleashes a sonic wave after wave of melodious guitars and heated vocals.
"Lost Within" has some massive fast drumming matching the guitar shredding, really surpassing their earlier material. "Walk the Edge" is a great song, but unfortunately, their least original song too. Vocals range from raspy growls to heartened verses, but too many guitar riffs and solos stolen from Retribution. The drum work is a bit more mellow but still solid and thrashy. "The Wasteland" turns things around and is a great ending to the album and the band...for now.
This is a great record that works well with both long-time fans and new listeners. If the band decides to completely end and this becomes their final album, this would be the best to be saved for last. I just hope the band will still be around, they're truly a great band. Shadows Fall, please come back soon.....
Favorites: "The Unknown", "Nothing Remains", "Fire From the Sky", "Blind Faith", "Lost Within", "The Wasteland"
