I don't know about anyone else on here but when I first heard The Art of Balance by Shadows Fall a few years ago, I thought I'd found a band that had somehow managed to combine a modern sound with a classic thrash one and released a monster of an album.

I spat on The War Within. Drivel from beginning to end, not a standout track on the album, a weak production, off key vocals and some frankly rubbish riffs. And when they released Fallout from the War, which were songs so stale, they weren't even good enough to make it onto TWW, I all but gave up on them for good.

However...

When I..er.. "acquired" Threads of Life earlier today, I did not hold out much hope for it at all.
Well, was I ever proven completely wrong.
WHAT a return to form. Everything about this album just oozes class. It makes the last Killswitch album seem lifeless and a total letdown (oh, that's right. It was. sorry, bad example).
This album is just immense. I cannot reccommend it highly enough to anyone with even the most passing of interests in bands like Lamb of God and KSE. If "Another Hero Lost" isn't released as a single and overplayed to bloody hell on Scuzz and Kerrang TV then I'll eat my Metallica collection.

I bought the 'Of One Blood' album a very, very long time ago, and I quite enjoyed it, but it didn't really keep me that interested in this band. I liked the melodic goodness, but it just didn't keep me listening for very long at all. I might give this album a go though, I like a nice bit of KSE every now and then, even though I know I shouldn't... but yes, I also agree, their new album was shit. Even though it was the same as everything they've done, it still managed to be worse. But I imagine Shadows Fall to be a lot better than KSE, so I think I could quite enjoy it.

I saw these guys play live in Norway and they were really really good, tight and quite thrashy, but everything I've heard recorded had a few good moments spoilt by horrible commercial bits and wimpy clean vocal parts.

Has the singer still got those stupid dread locks!?!?!?

Darkweasel wrote:It makes the last Killswitch album seem lifeless and a total letdown (oh, that's right. It was. sorry, bad example).

Absolutely true. The last KSE album is one of the most boring albums i heard in the last couple of years. I heard only "Redemption" of the new Shadows Fall album and i have to admitt that it is quite good. Let's hope the rest of the album is in the same vein.

Never liked em, don't like KSE at all either.... and they just get worse...

I think Shadows Fall are great, Tho there songs can sound all the same.