Shadows Fall’s Paul Romanko: Still without a side project of his own.

So two of the three current Shadows Fall-related side projects both released new music yesterday, and despite the fact that it is not particularly fair to either band, I am lumping these two projects into one post for the sake of my own comfort and convenience. My apologies to all parties involved.

And so…

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“Somebody get me a goddman second band!!!”

Paul Romanko is now the only member of Shadows Fall who doesn’t have a side project — or, if he does, he hasn’t gone public with it yet. What’s that about? I’m sure he has no recollection of this whatsoever, but back in my lowly fanboy days, before I was a super-cool blahger d00d, I had beers with Romanko, and he was a totally cool guy! And he had no B.O. problems that I noticed. So how come no one wants to play with him? Let him in the sandbox, damn it!

While you ponder that completely meaningless question (I mean for all I know the dude is just enjoying his time off and has no desire to be in a second band), feel free to head over to Noisecreep and check out the song “Shades of Grey,” the new song from Dead of Night — a.k.a. the side project of Shads’ guitarists Matt Bachand and Jon Donais (ex-Unearth skinsman Derek Kerswill plays drums, making this somewhat of a NWOAHM supergroup).

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No riff is as tasty as an ’80s metal riff (pick one) and the Shadows Fall tandem of Matt Bachand and Jon Donais are two of the tastiest classic-style riffers in metal today. Put the two together and you’ve got Kobra Kai, an ’80s cover supergroup that also features current and ex-members of Fates Warning, All That Remains and Dark Day Sunday. So it couldn’t've been much of a stretch for Bachand and Donais to take their passion for ’80s metal to the big leagues by covering a song with one of the tastiest riffs ever, “Bark at the Moon;” shit, they probably already knew it.

Apparently the Shads’ cover of the Ozzy classic has been burning up the radio charts of late, but I hadn’t heard it until this live video landed in my inbox. I like how for the most part it’s a straight cover but Bachand and Donais still infuse hints of their distinct Shadows Fallian guitar style into Jake E. Lee’s masterful riffage. And while Brian Fair ain’t the best singer on the block, he sure sounds better than Ozzy “teleprompter” Osbourne these days… and he remembers the lyrics, too. Yes, folks, this is how it’s done. Yes yes, ya’ll.

-VN

I guess having successfully attained “Redemption,” Shadows Fall are just gonna kick ass and take names with their latest album: they’ve chosen the title Retribution, according to Blabbermouth. The album will drop September 15, which is now shaping up to be a truly righteous day for new records.

Here’s some lo-fi footage of the band playing a new song, “A Public Execution.” And Matt Bachand is wearing a God Forbid tee. Nice.

-AR