NASHVILLE |FROM: KRISTINE ASHTON/DANA GORDON
SHADOWS FALL TO TOUR WITH HATEBREED;
SHOOT VIDEO FOR “THOUGHTS WITHOUT WORDS”;
‘THE ART OF BALANCE’ DUE SEPTEMBER 17 ON CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS
Mainstays of the metal touring circuit, SHADOWS FALL continue their relentless roadwork when they join Hatebreed and Six Feet Under for a tour starting September 9 in Houston. The tour, currently scheduled to continue through September 26 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, is in support of THE ART OF BALANCE, the Massachusetts band’s eagerly awaited second album for Century Media Records (and third overall), due in stores September 17.
After a month-long stint with Kittie, Poison The Well and Killswitch Engage, SHADOWS FALL–BRIAN FAIR (vocals), JONATHAN DONAIS (guitar), MATTHEW BACHAND (guitar), PAUL ROMANKO (bass) and JASON BITTNER (drums)–recently took a brief break from touring to shoot a video for “Thoughts Without Words,” the first single from THE ART OF BALANCE. Directed by Darren Doane (Snapcase, Jimmy Eat World, Blink-182, Thrice, Poison The Well), and filmed in Los Angeles, SHADOWS FALL‘s first-ever video captures the manic energy of the band’s live performance.
Meanwhile, buoyed by the strength of “Thoughts Without Words,” SHADOWS FALL is creating an impressive early buzz at radio. The band’s CD sampler featuring “Thoughts Without Words” is currently #3 on the Radio & Records Rock Specialty Chart, behind only Slipknot side project Stone Sour and perennial metal favorites (currently on Ozzfest) Meshuggah. “ThoughtsÉ” also outranks the latest from powerhouses like Disturbed, Soulfly, and Glassjaw on this Radio & Records chart.
The album is receiving early praise from the press as well. Amy Sciarretto of Rockpile [August 2002] called the album “god-like” and noted: “Shadows Fall has maintained the thrash metal element and metalcore mosh of its past with a surefire rock ‘n roll vibe.” Elsewhere, in a review of the CD, the revered international metal web site Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles [August 7, 2002] said: “Solid, solid stuff is found hereÉ”
Produced by Zeuss (Hatebreed, God Forbid), THE ART OF BALANCE is the much anticipated follow-up to SHADOWS FALL‘s critically heralded Century Media debut OF ONE BLOOD. Of that album, Guitar World wrote, “Forceful playing gives OF ONE BLOOD its strength, but the subtleties give it depth and invite repeated listenings–a cornerstone of longevity in any genre,” while Metal Hammer proclaimed, “Successfully combining aggression, power, and some complex time changes which would have the mighty Iron Maiden gasping for breath, SHADOWS FALL trample roughshod over most musical labels you can throw at ’em. It’s reassuring to know there are still bands out there who play metal as it was intended: loud, fast and downright noisy.”
Despite such high praise for their last album, SHADOWS FALL view THE ART OF BALANCE as an artistic leap forward and the band’s true coming out. “This is the first real Shadows Fall record of new songs to which the entire lineup contributed,” explains FAIR. “We are a better band now,” adds BACHAND. “This time, instead of eight Gothenburg death metal songs, we have ballads, rock songs, thrash tunes.”
Indeed, THE ART OF BALANCE finds that balance in the many elements within its individual songs–traditional thrash riffs, a rhythm section so thunderous it could replace a heartbeat, a three-tiered vocal attack and mesmerizing guitar wizardry. But it also finds balance in its eclectic mix of songs, from the raise-your-fist-in-the-air rock dynamos like “Thoughts Without Words” and “Destroyer Of Senses” to the mosh pit gem “Stepping Outside The Circle” to the grinding, haunting cover of Pink Floyd’s “Welcome To The Machine.”
Catch the band on the road with Hatebreed and Six Feet Under in the following cities, and check out www.shadowsfall.com and www.centurymedia.com.
Date City Venue With Death Threat and Sworn Enemy: Thu 9/05 Richmond, VA Alley Katz Fri 9/06 West Columbia, SC Uncle Doctor's Sat 9/07 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade With Hatebreed, Six Feet Under and Death Threat: Mon 9/09 Houston, TX Numbers Tue 9/10 New Orleans, LA House of Blues Thu 9/12 Tulsa, OK The Otherside Fri 9/13 Pittsburg, KS Fox Town City Limits Sun 9/15 Lawrence, KS The Bottleneck Mon 9/16 Columbia, MO The Blue Notes Tue 9/17 Peoria, IL Madison Theatre Thu 9/19 Toledo, OH Hard Hat Concert Hall Fri 9/20 Fords, NJ Vintage Vinyl In-Store Performance @ 7pm Sat 9/21 Cambridge, MA Middle East Restaurant & Nightclub Wed 9/25 State College, PA Crowbar Thu 9/26 Allentown, PA Crocodile Rock Fri 9/27 Providence, RI Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel Sat 9/28 Huntington, WV Harris Riverfront Park Sun 9/29 Towson, MD Recher Theater
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