In a brand new interview with the Thunder Underground podcast, SHADOWS FALL singer Brian Truthful spoke concerning the band’s newest single, “In The Gray”, which was made out there final December through SHADOWS FALL‘s new file label residence, MNRK Heavy. The observe marked the band’s first new piece of music in additional than 12 years.
“We’re simply so completely happy to lastly launch new music,” he mentioned (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). “We’re engaged on a full album’s price of fabric, however I really feel prefer it’s gonna drop form of in chunks after which hopefully the remainder of it unexpectedly form of factor. We simply could not sit on it. We have been simply so excited with how that tune got here out. And it is form of a distinct world now too, the place you possibly can launch singles main as much as extra songs and conserving folks . So, yeah, man, we have been stoked with the way it got here out and simply needed to get it out in entrance of individuals. And I am tremendous psyched to only be writing once more with the blokes, ‘trigger we did not know if that was gonna be form of a part of the deal after we began taking part in exhibits once more. And the writing has actually turn into the primary focus for the final 12 months and a half or so, which has been superior once more to form of get again in that mode. So it is killer.”
Relating to SHADOWS FALL‘s songwriting strategy for the brand new music, Brian mentioned: “Once we first began form of writing music, we needed to ensure it was gonna be SHADOWS FALL music. We hadn’t labored on new materials in such a very long time, and as soon as we began writing, issues simply clicked proper outta the gates. And ‘In The Gray’ was a kind of songs that form of got here collectively fairly shortly too. And we needed to form of have the primary tune fairly energetic, simply come out swinging thrash steel model. It is bought a giant, melodic refrain, however the remainder of it’s just about simply pedal-to-the-metal thrash. So, that was additionally — why fiddle? Simply come out with the primary one swinging. So we have been tremendous stoked. So, yeah, every part about it was simply form of an thrilling new chapter.”
As for the way SHADOWS FALL approached the recording course of after being away from the recording studio for therefore lengthy, Brian mentioned: “This recording course of with [producer] Zeuss [Chris Harris] this time round, we have executed it fairly stripped down so far as we’re not reamping guitar tracks a ton… Earlier than we’d experiment with reamping one million various things and mixing tones and all this. This one we form of needed to make one thing that did not sound perhaps as surgical and medical as some metalcore or trendy steel’s form of gotten. We needed to carry slightly little bit of thrash vitality to it and slightly extra of a uncooked — not essentially sonically uncooked, however just a bit extra live-ish strategy to it.”
On the subject of SHADOWS FALL‘s new cope with MNRK Heavy, Truthful mentioned: “We talked to some labels, however only a few, ‘trigger we form of had an thought of what we needed to do and form of the kind of deal we have been searching for. So, we hit it proper off the bat with them. They’ve an ideal roster with everybody from Zakk Wylde and Ace Frehley, however then additionally DARKEST HOUR and ESCUELA GRIND after which HIGH ON FIRE and CROWBAR — simply so many killer bands. So, it actually made sense. And so they’re form of additionally approaching it extra as we’re signing for a gaggle of songs the place we are able to form of launch issues slowly after which put all of it collectively. ‘Trigger simply the way in which we work as a band proper now, since it isn’t everybody’s full-time life, we wanna do it — not essentially take our time, however we wanna be certain we maximize our time after we can get it, ‘trigger it is so arduous to get everybody collectively. So, they have been actually prepared to form of work with us on that stage of realizing the place the band is at this level in our life. In order that was a giant a part of it. And so they’ve been killer thus far.”
Elaborating on the variations in the way in which music is being launched these days in comparison with the way it was a few a long time in the past, Brian mentioned:  ”Yeah, it is extra simply the break from the album-cycle form of factor. Once we first have been round, you mainly put out a file yearly and a half or so, and then you definitely toured nonstop. And that was form of the way it labored. And now there’s so many alternative shops, there’s so many alternative methods to get your music to folks. It is not as conventional file label relationship form of setup, which is cool. And you need to form of have a contemporary strategy. And for a band like us — we form of come from an old-school strategy, so it is good to have a label that has that ahead pondering and form of is aware of the best way to navigate the form of new means of the music biz.”
Requested concerning the progress of the songwriting and recording classes for the following SHADOWS FALL album, Truthful mentioned: “Now we have a pair [of songs] which are completely executed which will want some combine [tweaks], however are tracked. After which now we have the instrumental tracks for lots. And we’re beginning to work on vocal demos. Proper now we’re form of buying and selling issues forwards and backwards. And we have got the skeletons to a different group of recent songs that we have not tracked instrumentally. So, all mentioned and executed, we’re gonna form of hold simply writing and recording form of as issues come alongside, however now we have an excellent basis of, I would say, six or seven songs which are just about there and tracked instrumentally. And the vocal concepts are a minimum of in a skeleton kind; it is a matter of getting in and getting time to file ’em. However then, like I mentioned, there’s an entire different group of songs proper behind it that we have gotta begin engaged on too.”
When “In The Gray” was first launched, Brian mentioned in an announcement: “We’re extremely excited to share our first new music in over a decade with our single ‘In The Gray’ and are proud to announce our partnership with MNRK Music Group.
“When SHADOWS FALL first bought again within the observe house to organize for our reunion exhibits, we didn’t know if it might result in new music, however the pleasure of jamming collectively and all the riffs that Jon [Donais, SHADOWS FALL guitarist] had floating round in his head led us within the course virtually instantly. The concept started flowing, the vitality began constructing and new songs started taking kind out of the chaos.”
He continued: “‘In The Gray’ is a full-throttle thrasher that incorporates all the components which are the bedrock of the SHADOWS FALL sound, but additionally provides new components and approaches that developed within the current previous whereas all of us explorer different musical avenues. Lyrically, I used to be attempting to place into phrases and describe the bodily manifestation of the burden and crushing energy that may include despair, that feeling that the burden of gravity is crashing down on you or being trapped at the hours of darkness waters of our personal thoughts, attempting to rise to the floor and take a breath. It may be an amazing and lonely place however there may be at all times a light-weight on the finish of that tunnel and we at all times have to hold striving for a brighter day and escaping the gray.”
Truthful completed: “We wish to sincerely thank everybody for the a long time of help that you’ve got given SHADOWS FALL and we can’t be happier to be again and rocking as soon as once more. Crank up ‘In The Gray’, elevate these horns to the sky, and bang your head as arduous as you possibly can. Keep tuned for extra music and information quickly…”
Final August, Truthful was requested by Sh!t Speak Evaluations whether it is “protected to say” that SHADOWS FALL “is again” and is “not going to go wherever anytime quickly.” Brian responded: “It is not going wherever, however I do not assume we’ll ever be the full-time touring band we have been. It is loads of household stuff and folks have simply bought various things occurring. Jon, being in ANTHRAX, that is gonna be form of his primary gig more often than not. Jason [Bittner, drums], yeah, he left OVERKILL, however he is additionally bought CATEGORY 7 with John Bush and Phil Demmel and all these guys, and that new file’s killer. So that they’ll be busy with that. However we’re undoubtedly gonna hold taking part in exhibits. We’re gonna hold doing festivals. We most likely will hopefully do some quick excursions right here and there, particularly when new music comes out, however we’re gonna form of choose and select our battles, which is, once more, additionally a pleasant place to be in.
“When the band was our full-time job, you could not keep at residence for too lengthy or there wasn’t gonna be a house to return residence to,” Truthful defined. “You’ve got gotta exit and grind. So it is good to not have that strain, but additionally to do it as a result of it is enjoyable once more. Every present that we have executed have all been blockbusters in our minds as a result of there’s simply sufficient time between every one that you just get that excited once more. It ramps up after which it is similar to an explosion.
“Me personally, I used to be so burnt out by the point we stopped touring in 2015. We might been on a 15-year run the place I hadn’t been residence for various weeks by means of that complete factor. And bodily, my neck was shot, my again was shot. I used to be burnt mentally as properly, so it was time to return residence for some time. However then, now I am, like, ‘Okay, cool. Let’s go have some enjoyable.'”
“The one method to survive in a band like us… We’re not gonna promote 10 million information and have all that stuff,” Brian added. “So you have gotta go on the market and keep on the highway to maintain your identify in entrance of individuals, hold every part thrilling. You’ve got gotta promote t-shirts — that is the way you make your cash, [by staying] on the market on the highway. And, yeah, if a label is gonna spend a bunch of cash to drop a file and do movies, they’re, like, ‘You’ve got gotta go advertise now. You’ve got gotta get on the market and hit it.’
“What’s driving us to file now’s that we love the songs we’re writing. It is not ‘trigger there is a deadline. And the exhibits we’re taking part in is as a result of we’re simply, like, ‘That feels like a celebration, man. Let’s do it.'”
Elaborating on how he and his SHADOWS FALL bandmates selected their new record-label companion, Brian mentioned: “It’s very modified issues the place they’ve form of realized their greatest position is as a promotional companion and a producer, when you’re doing vinyl or no matter. CDs, they nonetheless make ’em, I suppose, however not within the numbers they used to. And loads of them downsized, as a result of they needed to. So it is extra about partnering with the band and label relationship and discovering a method to make it make sense for everybody.
“The previous mannequin does not work,” the 49-year-old singer, who now lives in St. Louis, Missouri along with his spouse and their two youngsters, added. “It is damaged. You may’t simply throw cash at issues and assume it is gonna hit. Individuals have too many selections. You may put out music your self, so there’s undoubtedly an oversaturation, sadly, as properly due to that. So there’s simply a lot content material, you have gotta discover new and progressive methods to share it and hold it particular. And I believe the labels which are surviving and thriving are those who’re versatile, prepared to evolve, prepared to work with the artists’ imaginative and prescient versus simply, ‘Cool, man. Let’s keep on with the previous methodology.'”
Truthful and his SHADOWS FALL bandmates have performed plenty of reunion concert events thus far, together with at Blue Ridge Rock Competition in Alton, Virginia, on the Furnace Fest in Birmingham, Alabama, and on the Milwaukee Metallic Fest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The long-running Massachusetts-based metallers, who have been on the forefront of the New Wave Of American Metallic scene that dominated the ’00s, celebrated the twentieth anniversary of their “The Battle Inside” album by taking part in the LP in its entirety in March 2024 on the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey, the location of the band’s many basic exhibits. It additionally marked the primary time the band has carried out within the Backyard State in a decade.
In December 2023, Truthful informed RichardMetalFan about SHADOWS FALL‘s determination to reunite: “We might needed to play exhibits once more for some time and we simply needed the time to be proper. And as soon as the pandemic form of hit, we form of realized, like, ‘Why are we ready round? It is the time.’ So we have been fortunate that we have been capable of form of get everybody’s schedules collectively. And it was unimaginable. As quickly as we began jamming collectively once more, it simply felt enjoyable, it felt proper. So the exhibits have been a blast. We actually rehearsed like loopy for it. And we’re most likely higher ready for that than something we would ever been for earlier than that. And we additionally realized, like, man, we should always have been practising extra after we have been collectively. We used to hate practising. We at all times have been, like, ‘Ah, we tour sufficient. We need not.’ After which after we practiced a bunch, we have been, like, ‘All proper. Perhaps we actually ought to have.’ [Laughs] However then additionally after we began practising, we figured if now we have concepts, why not write new music as properly? If we’re gonna get collectively, let’s examine what we have got. In order that began resulting in some new stuff. So [I’m] trying ahead to seeing the place it heads.”
SHADOWS FALL launched an announcement in August 2014 during which the bandmembers defined that monetary difficulties made it just about unimaginable for the group to proceed as a full-time concern.
In August 2015, SHADOWS FALL performed a couple of reunion exhibits on the U.S. East Coast, one 12 months after finishing what was being billed on the time because the band’s “ultimate” European tour.
“Hearth From The Sky” was launched in Could 2012 through Razor & Tie. The CD offered round 10,000 copies in the USA in its first week of launch to debut at place No. 38 on The Billboard 200 chart.
Photograph credit score: Jeremy Saffer
