Shadows Fall

Shadows Fall became an integral part of the Massachusetts metalcore scene by melding thrash metal’s speed and ambitious riffage with gruff, melodic vocals. Cofounded in 1996 by guitarists Jonathan Donais and Matt Bachand, the band experienced multiple lineup changes during their early days; among other things, future All That Remains vocalist Philip Labonte sang on their 1997 debut album, Somber Eyes to the Sky. However, the 2000 addition of vocalist Brian Fair brought stability to Shadows Fall. He was on board as the band signed to Century Media Records and released 2000’s death-metal-leaning Of One Blood, then helped the group’s sound and direction settle into a more metalcore-leaning groove with 2002’s The Art of Balance and 2004’s The War Within. Shadows Fall parlayed this sound into a major-label record deal (for the 2007 album Threads of Life) and two Grammy nominations, but they decided to take a touring hiatus after several years on the road in the wake of releasing 2012’s Fire From The Sky. In December 2021, the band played their first show since 2015 at the Worcester Palladium, which led to additional shows in 2022.