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By GREG MAKI
As Shadows Fall makes the jump to Atlantic Records, they easily could have mailed in a live album or compilation to fulfill their “contractual obligation” to Century Media. Instead, they hit the studio to flesh out a handful of ideas left over from The War Within sessions, reinterpret a pair of rare songs from their catalog and record an interesting trio of covers.
The album’s opener and first single, “In Effigy,” is the most relevant song here. Based on The War Within and band members’ comments about the direction of new material, it seems to be an accurate representation of where the band is now and where they are headed with their sound. It’s as heavy as most of The War Within, but it’s melodic and features mostly clean vocals by Brian Fair. Though heavier than “In Effigy,” “Carpal Tunnel” essentially fills the same role. The other four new songs—solid tracks all—would not have been out of place on The War Within but are not as strong as the material that made it to that album. A new version of “This Is My Own,” originally available as a Japanese bonus track, is one of this album’s highlights.
The cover songs are where Fallout from the War gets interesting. I’ll admit to having never heard Only Living Witness’ “December” of Leeway’s “Mark of the Squeeler.” Both appear to be perfect matches for Shadows Fall. I probably would have thought they were originals if no one told me otherwise. That statement couldn’t be farther from the truth when it comes to the album’s closer, Dangerous Toys’ “Teasn’, Pleasn’.” Surprisingly, it’s as much a party song in Shadows Fall’s hands as it was in 1989. It even features Dangerous Toys frontman Jason McMasters. All of the teenage metalcore fans out there are scratching their heads, asking, “Who?” It’s a great way to end the disc and show that Shadows Fall outgrew that label long ago.
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