Review: Shadows Fall “The War Within” CD

I've been a big fan of most everything Shadows Fall has done in recent years, and this record is definitely a step towards something bigger and better for the band. "The Light That Blinds" opens right off with a beautiful acoustic passage that sounds like a million bucks and then blows into an array of riffing that jumps from technical thrash to melodic classic metal or chunkier rhythms - showcasing infinitely tighter guitar playing and a stronger tone than the band has ever displayed before. And don't forget the tradeoff solos or totally unexpected cock rock riffs... I love it! I always kind of looked at these guys as a "more-metal-than-hardcore" metalcore band in the past, but this is definitely an outright metal record... there's no question (just check out the blazing thrash of "Eternity is Within"). Yeah, it's a little more melodic at times, but the riffs are fucking awesome. On rare occasion they'll drop an out of place guitar part or hit on a brief vibe that I'm not really into, but that's a small price to pay for diversity when so many of the runs on this thing kick ass. For instance, "What Drives the Weak" meanders a bit much and has some weak verse spots, but the chorus is a true keeper through and through, making up for the track's pitfalls. "Enlightened by the Cold" is a more streamlined structurally, blending midpaced rhythms with emphatic melodies and bringing in some singing vocal harmonies for a catchier chorus - but Brian Fair's token screams and shouts are still in place, perhaps more polished here, and still giving the band an added uniqueness. The same style of writing is employed in the more memorable "Act of Contrition", which is by far my favorite track herein with its emphasis on nonstop thrash riffs and memorable vocal arrangements. "Inspiration on Demand" opens more laidback with soft clean guitars and singing but eventually thickens up with plenty of midpaced heaviness, so there really aren't any completely "chilled out" songs here at all. And the chorus of "Ghost of Past Failures" has some great chord phrasings that really give a nod to old school heavy metal, as do some of the leads, which is a nice fucking touch. Closer "Those Who Cannot Speak" sort of does the same, but gives it a more contemporary kick by way of some subtle melodic Swedish death metal-isms, which work out just fine. I fucking love the production this time out as well, it's damn near perfect. Had they given the drums a little less rigidity and upped the bass just an inch it would've totally killed. But fuck it, because this is a guitar record and the guitar tone is fucking perfect. Totally crisp, well-honed and crunchy... I wouldn't fuckin' touch it. The leads are nice and fiery, the rhythms drop back into a niche of chugging precision, etc. Damn nice. And you can hear the bass back there, so... it's doing its work. The vocals sound fine as well, kept in line with the guitars. There's no doubt that this fucker sounds a ton better than all of their other records in every sense. The disc comes in a massive digipack that's got some embossed lettering and shapes on the cover for added effect, though honestly I'm not wild on the visuals. They just seem a bit plain and look more like something that would've come out 10 years ago - a little crude, but not necessarily intentionally or effectively, you know? The lyrics are more directly personal this time out, but I'm not really taken by anything there, it's not bad, but there's nothing unexpected or especially interesting happening, sans a line here or there. "Man has programmed himself to die. A death wish has been ingrained. Almost with our first breath, we are taught to expect our last..." Also included is a bonus DVD that runs nearly an hour. Three live tracks are included with live audio and video, one in black and white with some behind the scenes footage, the other two in color and shot pretty straight from the performance. Then there are two "guitar lessons" where you can see the riffs and solos from "Enlightened by the Cold" and "The Power and I and I" played piece by piece at full speed and slower tempos. It's kind of cool to hear just the guitar parts from the songs, and I guess if you feel like learning the tracks and can't play by ear this could help out a little. The last segment is a "drum lesson", which is actually the most in depth and interesting of the bunch, starting out with the actual studio take from "The Light That Blinds", and then going into a breakdown of the drum parts (at times with the actual musical notation) down to the fills and everything. The dude definitely makes it look a hell of a lot easier than it is! All in all this is an awesome disc. I still hold plenty of their old songs in very high regard, and I think there are a few too many tracks herein that aren't consistent enough to really be considered standouts, but every composition has its golden moments. Their next record better not take as long as this one to materialize, because I bet it'll be the big one. Damn good stuff.