Shadows Fall is an American Thrash Metal band with Death Metal influences.
Once described as "death metal on melody pills" , Shadows Fall's sound mixes melodic elements with crushing riffs, double bass drum patterns, pinch harmonics and furious screaming-growling or death grunt vocals.
The sounds of Shadows Fall reflect both American and European influences. On the one hand, the band's use of "shredding", or fast guitar solos, draws upon the classic American thrash metal heritage of bands such as Metallica, Anthrax, and Slayer. Equally, however, its complex single-note riffs and dual-guitar harmonies have their roots in the European metal sounds commonly associated with the Gothenburg scene and bands such as In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, and At The Gates. Also they use some American death metal such as New York Death Metal (bands such as Suffocation and Cannibal Corpse) sounds and Florida Death Metal (bands such as Death, Morbid Angel, and Obituary) sounds.
Shadows Fall was formed around 1995. The band released its debut album in 1997, Somber Eyes to the Sky on Lifeless Records, the label of guitarist Matt Bachand. The record garnered the band considerable attention in the Massachusetts area, and led to the band securing a recording contract with Californian independent metal record label Century Media.
