Comments on: SHADOWS FALL = SHRED FOR ALL!

By: shit sandwich

shit sandwich — Wed, 20 May 2009 18:33:41 +0000

i never really liked this band, although i thought theyd blow up bigger than they did.

By: Dillon

Dillon — Wed, 20 May 2009 15:27:06 +0000

That’s pretty much true. I remember when they were right amongst bands like Lamb of God, Chimaira, God Forbid, KsE, etc. circa 2003/4, and then they just seemed to slip under the radar after getting signed to Atlantic.

Then again, I didn’t care too much for Threads of Life, pretty uninspired tbh.

By: bearbomb

bearbomb — Wed, 20 May 2009 03:47:53 +0000

I see what you’re saying but these “words” are also genres and a genre is a means for which to describe a band. I hear genres like metalcore, death metal, and grindcore thrown around all the time with no ACTUAL description behind them, and “Merauder is metalcore” and “Pig Destroyer is grindcore” IS NOT A DESCRIPTION. I mean description in terms of sound and/or a particular technique the band uses to be given such a label. I never hear these genres described properly, simply because most of them are completely meaningless and nobody really knows how to. Not trying to be a dick here, but can someone seriously give me the definitions of any of the above genres, in terms of sound and without referencing a particular band? Anyone? One of my favorites is the so called “stoner metal” genre, one of my all time favorite types of rock. I can’t help but wonder how big this type of music would be without such a stupid label, think of how many potential listeners have never given Kyuss, Electric Wizard, or Sasquatch a chance, thinking they are just mindless, talentless bands for potheads. I love how if Black Sabbath came on the scene today they would be dubbed “stoner metal.” Black Sabbath is metal people. Just metal.

By: Conduit

Conduit — Wed, 20 May 2009 00:00:19 +0000

Are semantics hardcore then?

By: keepitwolf

keepitwolf — Tue, 19 May 2009 23:33:20 +0000

breakdowns are not “hardcore”

By: Wrecking Balls

Wrecking Balls — Tue, 19 May 2009 23:28:14 +0000

What a lot of people seem to refer to as “metalcore” these days sounds more to me like a slicker, americanized, “lite” version of 90′s Swedish Death Metal…to me Metalcore was bands like Merauder and VOD and but maybe that’s just because I’m older. Hell, when bands used to mix hardcore punk and metal together in the 80′s it was called Crossover..and the word hardcore meant different things back then too, often depending if you were in the East Coast, West Coast, or DC…
With time I’ve just come to accept that music, like any other art, is primarily a subjective experience above anything else, and we can argue about it, or make up different words that we disagree about to describe it, but that’s all they are – words that sometimes help and sometimes hinder.

By: Max M

Max M — Tue, 19 May 2009 22:46:53 +0000

Good point. I hate how critics write -core next to anything and it is automatically a metal subgenre. People don’t remember that metalcore is supposed to mean metal with hardcore punk influences. Now, though, the word is basically meaningless.

By: Wrecking Balls

Wrecking Balls — Tue, 19 May 2009 22:41:31 +0000

So what about death metal and black metal?
Genre names will always exist and so will people who disagree about what they actually mean. It’s not just “stuffy critics” who do this. I’ll decide if I like a band based on what I think/how I feel about their music, not because of someone else’s opinion about what label to pigeonhole them into…

By: Wrecking Balls

Wrecking Balls — Tue, 19 May 2009 22:37:45 +0000

Thanks for the info…definitely checking this out.

By: Wrecking Balls

Wrecking Balls — Tue, 19 May 2009 22:34:44 +0000

It’s “Teas’n, Pleas’n” originally done by Dangerous Toys on their self-titled debut album in 1989. I believe the Dangerous Toys vocalist did a vocal cameo on the cover too.
That being said, the cover pretty much sucked, and nothing from Shadow’s Fall has impressed me since “Of One Blood” with the exception of the song “Stepping Outside The Circle”.

The Dangerous Toys album was a surprisingly good example of 80′s hair metal, though.

By: Conduit

Conduit — Tue, 19 May 2009 22:03:00 +0000

Well the death-chode tag is pretty easy, since all it is is crappy death metal with WAAAAAY too many breakdowns, which would be the -core. And people are lazy.

By: SonOF

SonOF — Tue, 19 May 2009 21:40:59 +0000

I agree. Shadows Fall went from being everyone’s favorite up and coming metal band to an act that “wasn’t cool to like.” They are an underrated band that helped start a really positive movement in heavy music, and a terrific live show to boot.

By: keepitwolf

keepitwolf — Tue, 19 May 2009 21:32:52 +0000

i agree with you about the “I don’t understand why chug + dual guitar solo + gay singer was ever called metalcore.” same with deathcore

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Tue, 19 May 2009 21:02:51 +0000

When are you going to send me the Shadows Fall shirt I won from your contest? :(

By: Conduit

Conduit — Tue, 19 May 2009 20:57:13 +0000

Some band called Converge is coming out with an album this year, them dudes from Boston. And they actually play worthwhile metal mixed with hardcore. What I don’t understand is why chug + dual guitar solo + gay singer was ever called metalcore.

But ugh, you guys can keep this super polished borefest of a band, I won’t miss them.

By: Max M

Max M — Tue, 19 May 2009 20:40:19 +0000

I actually think that Shadows Fall is very metalcore. They have always been a pretty stereotypical metalcore sound to me, but that could just be me.

By: Cavorka

Cavorka — Tue, 19 May 2009 19:50:07 +0000

I like Shadows Fall, I loved The art Of Balance, The War Within and Of One Blood. I think the last two were nice also, but I expect nothing of the new album!

Betcha for 5 bucks that it’s going to be the same ‘Threads Of Life’ stuff….

By: phoenixdan

phoenixdan — Tue, 19 May 2009 19:45:27 +0000

I don’t remember when I first heard Shadows Fall, but I do remember thinking to myself how much what I was hearing , reminded me of old school Anthrax. I couldn’t stop thinking I was hearing a modern version of what Anthrax was during the heyday of Spreading the Disease and Among the Living. I wasn’t too particularly thrilled by their latest effort, but I think that album didn’t do so well because of the pressures of a major label, and trying to go mainstream or whatever.

By: Chicago Bears

Chicago Bears — Tue, 19 May 2009 19:41:55 +0000

It’s nice to see someone acknowledge how weird it is that “hipsters” like stoner rock and black metal right now. I feel kinda sad for em knowing they will never truly appreciate the joy that Queensryche or Megadeth or Anthrax. Wait, that might get cool in t-minus 6 months….

By: dicknballs

dicknballs — Tue, 19 May 2009 19:30:11 +0000

Oh, Anal Cunt has 2 CD’s coming out this year?!? Well shit… I stand corrected

“Seeing as how we’re unfamiliar with sarcasm I will close the register at this point”

/cbg