Band's List Metalcore Shadows Fall Retribution

All of their previous albums were dynamite productions, so I didn't hesitate to buy this album, without hearing 1 note from it. This is the 7th full length effort from this American metalcore quintet. Their lineup hasn't changed in 6 albums, so apparently the band members mesh well together.

At first listen, it wasn't what I was expecting. I was expecting to hear some super explosive songs like Redemption(Threads of Life) or Destroyer of Senses(The Art of Balance). I was also expecting to hear some very beautiful clean vocal harmonies like Stepping Outside The Circle (The Art of Balance) or The First Noble Truth (Of One Blood).

Of course the usual yelling vocals are present, but the clean vocals aren't as pretty as those exhibited on the previous albums. The vocal inversions aren't nearly as remarkable as the guitar inversions are. A few of the songs sound like rehashed versions of songs from their previous albums.

Maybe this is a result of the album being self-released, rather than being released by a big label like Atlantic Records or a medium sized label like Century Media Records. They were very successful with Atlantic Records, so I can only reason that they wanted a bigger cut of the profits.

Then after a few more listens, the album started to grow on me and I could recognize some new artistic qualities in this release. The guitar playing is much more technically intricate on this album than they were on the previous albums. A few of the songs are very melodic and original. The taste of fear is a fine example of that. Although this album is more refined than the past albums, this isn't an FM friendly (kiss ass) album. They haven't sold out. It's just not as dynamic as their last 7 albums.

Similar bands are Trivium and Demon Hunter. If you are a die-hard Shadows Fall fan, like I am, then I recommend this album to you. This is a very good album, but not a great album.

"The songs are a little more on the darker, angry side... lots of heaviness, lots of crazy guitar, and LOTS of room for me to have some fun. There is no doubt in my mind that this will be the best performance of my career, so far, and I owe that to my guys for bringing me incredible riffs to write killer drum parts to." Jason Bittner, the drummer stated recently.

Retribution is the 7th & the newest album of the American metalcore band Shadows Fall. Now, before giving out my verdict about this album,it would be best if you give this album a listen for yourself. Because at the end of the day, personal verdict it what matters the most.

Shadows Fall(SF) emerged during the era of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal along with bands like Lamb of God and Killswitch Engage.This is the first album of Shadows Fall that i've heard. So the first thing that came to my mind was "Are they really metalcore?", because Shadows Fall doesn't sound anything like the mainstream metalcore bands. One thing that is truly admirable about SF is that they never tried to be a LOG clone.

The album, Retribution, would be best defined as a "above average album". You won't find much breakdowns, only in one or two songs. But what you will find are some decent clean vocals, killer drumming and melodious death metal riffs. Almost every song has a guitar solo, they are fast,brutal and melodic. If you are a fan of guitar solos, you are going to love this album.

The most memorable track of Retribution would be "My Demise". The song has got good variations, there's even a breakdown and the lyrics are well-written. The acoustic part that comes up in the middle adds more depth to the song. Kick-ass track.

In a nutshell, Retribution has a polished recording. The clean vocals are good and quite strong. The album is more like a thrash/death album with some brilliant solos. But it lacks good breakdowns. And considering its a metalcore band, breakdowns are necessary. If you are a SF fan, you won’t be disappointed with this album. It’s worth the try.

"The songs are a little more on the darker, angry side... lots of heaviness, lots of crazy guitar, and LOTS of room for me to have some fun. There is no doubt in my mind that this will be the best performance of my career, so far, and I owe that to my guys for bringing me incredible riffs to write killer drum parts to." Jason Bittner, the drummer stated recently.

Retribution is the 7th & the newest album of the American metalcore band Shadows Fall. Now, before giving out my verdict about this album,it would be best if you give this album a listen for yourself. Because at the end of the day, personal verdict it what matters the most.

Shadows Fall(SF) emerged during the era of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal along with bands like Lamb of God and Killswitch Engage.This is the first album of Shadows Fall that i've heard. So the first thing that came to my mind was "Are they really metalcore?", because Shadows Fall doesn't sound anything like the mainstream metalcore bands. One thing that is truly admirable about SF is that they never tried to be a LOG clone.

The album, Retribution, would be best defined as a "above average album". You won't find much breakdowns, only in one or two songs. But what you will find are some decent clean vocals, killer drumming and melodious death metal riffs. Almost every song has a guitar solo, they are fast,brutal and melodic. If you are a fan of guitar solos, you are going to love this album.

The most memorable track of Retribution would be "My Demise". The song has got good variations, there's even a breakdown and the lyrics are well-written. The acoustic part that comes up in the middle adds more depth to the song. Kick-ass track.

In a nutshell, Retribution has a polished recording. The clean vocals are good and quite strong. The album is more like a thrash/death album with some brilliant solos. But it lacks good breakdowns. And considering its a metalcore band, breakdowns are necessary. If you are a SF fan, you won’t be disappointed with this album. It’s worth the try.