Shadows Fall - Retribution - Music & Performance - CD

With Retribution - the band's fifth full length and follow-up to 2007's critically acclaimed Threads of Life - it's no surprise to find Shadows Fall once again taking bold steps in their quest for constant evolution. It starts, of course, with the guts of Retribution - the sound. "With each album we've gotten a little more confidence to really let all of our influences show," says vocalist Brian Fair. "We're unapologetic about the old-school metal and the 80s influence, as well as the thrash and the melodic death metal." And Retribution - with music production by Zeuss (Hatebreed, Municipal Waste) and vocal production by Elvis Baskette (Incubus, Alter Bridge) - surely has that thrash-metal bedrock which has long served as the foundation of Shadows Fall - but there's more. "We've really taken some songs all the way," explains Fair. "The brutal parts are a complete, non-stop assault, and the rock-influenced songs go all the way within that rock direction. A song like "Picture Perfect" - the chorus is more Journey or Def Leppard than it is death metal," laughs Fair. "There's really no holding back when it comes to our songwriting. Once the floodgates open, we go all the way." The result is Retribution - a collection of songs that showcase the versatility and vision of this band that only seems to get better over time.