Of Five Stars
5 stars considering the genre but why penalize them just because they're harsh? To my ears they were the first to really combine growly male vocals with clean male vocals, as well as thrash tempos and Maidenesque guitar harmonies. I was going to give this 4. I first heard this CD back in 2000 and it just keeps sounding better and better. Other bands like Kill Switch Engaged (who I also like) try for this sound but come up short. Musically Avenged Sevenfold and Trivium come close but they can't combine the vocal tension/contrast demonstrated here. The subsequent CDs released by this band don't quite measure up but they are still solid. Melodically the closest thing I can think of is Arch Enemy's "Burning Bridges" but it doesn't have the vocal counterpoint of this CD. There isn't a single song on here that I'd skip. .
Damn Good
To start with, there is no Jason Bittner on this CD (which almost makes this the best by default), meaning an absence of the aggravating dual-kick the subsequent three discs employ. By far the best Shadows Fall album. The drumming on these songs does involve double-kick, but only where needed.
Anyway, back to the album. The songs are also made stronger by the relative absence of pinch harmonics, as well as better-planned acoustic passages. The riffs are heavier and sound much more intense; the same difference applies to the more DM-oriented vocal sound. Songs like "Crushing Belial", "Of One Blood", "The First Noble Truth", and "Root Bound Apollo" are all full of great guitar parts and merciless hooks, but the best and most epic song is "To Ashes". Loaded with emotion, tasteful nuances, and beautiful quiet parts, it makes the album totally worth its cost. Though the production is a little flawed, the music quality far overpowers the recording idiosyncracies. It's unfortunate to see their songwriting deteriorate in the albums after this one.
Shadows Fall = True Metal
I can tell you that if you really love the actual scene of metal, this cd it's a must have. OK I am a big fan of shadows fall and i think this is a great album but being objective, shadows fall show us how to make the NWOAHM, i can't give them 5 stars because sometimes brian fair abuse of excecive screams and this is not a death metal album, but the guitars mat and jon sounds very acoplated and powerfull. Buy it and enjoy it.
Among the best thrashcore you'll find
Guitarists Jonathan Donais and Matt Bachand build a wall of bullying, iron-metal riffs and careening solos while vocalist Brian Fail alternates from yelling to deep growling. On their second record, Shadows Fall began to artfully blend their thrash influences with hard/metalcore. Even though the guitarists dabble with acoustic guitars (on tracks one, six, and nine), and Brian is capable of singing cleanly and somewhat melodically, the dual guitar attack is explosive enough to make "Of One Blood" one of this Boston quintet's heaviest albums. Jonathan's guitar solos are not very technical, but his and Matt's nimble riffing often brings Metallica's heyday to mind. On most songs, the guitarists seem to be almost competing against each other, and the songs gain density and speed as the riffs build off one another. "Of One Blood" wastes no time getting to the thick of things: "Pain Glass Vision" is very fast, with rapid, propulsive guitar shredding. Tracks four and nine have rocketing rhythms with super speedy, almost blinding guitar noise, and "Fleshold" and "Revel In My Loss" are very catchy, with rhythmic, chugging riffs. My personal favorite song, however, is track six, "Root Bound Apollo," which has several different tempos (including an acoustic guitar breakdown), and a classical sounding solo. The only downside to "Of One Blood" is that it, initially, sounds quite thin and dated. But, fortunately, the further you listen to this album, the less you will be annoyed by the shoddy production. No matter what genre this is, it's a great album from one of the first and best modern thrash/thrashcore bands. If you enjoy the other New Wave of American Heavy Metal groups that have cropped up since Shadows Fall, you will doubtlessly like this C. D. a lot, too.
Amazing Metalcore
This is perhaps my favorite metalcore CD ever. I have been wanting to write a review for this album for a long time. The band really blends well with Brian Fair, and the melodic singing is introduced at the right parts to make a perfect mix. It really is absolutely amazing, and must be heard for the first four tracks alone. If you are new to metalcore, this is the perfect place to start. If you are already a metalcore fan, and you don't own this, you should definitely think about it. .
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