Review by Adam on June 26, 2001.

Sure this group owe quite a bit to metal acts such as In Flames among others, but these guys play with such style and originality that it becomes very difficult to just write them off as In Flames ripoffs. Most the music here is a cross breed between melodic death metal, hardcore, and the type of thrash displayed by Metallica's earlier works.

The cd begins with a short dark intro then bursts into a metal frenzy instantly bringing their hard-hitting thrashy style into full gear. There are three types of vocals present on this release which is also a special quality that helps take this music to a higher level. One man sings in traditional death style, one singer does less deathy type screams, and the other sings in a more hardcore style and also does the clean vocals on the record.

Tracks such as Crushing Belial and To Ashes do a very good job at really representing what this band is capable of. These songs are complex with several tempo changes and really capture the versatility of these musicians. For me the standouts on this disc are the title track and The First Noble Truths. The lead and vocal harmonies in these songs are first rate! The thing I like most about these guys are that their vocals are incredibly unique and fit the music very well.

If you are a metal fan, you will have no problem finding something you like on this cd. Every song totally commands the listener and has them screaming metal with their horns up in the air the whole way through. Shadows Fall are a definetly a band to look out for in next year or so.

Bottom Line: If you like metal, then there is really no way you could go wrong with this disc.

Rating: 7 out of 10