Shadows Fall has returned with their debut release for Atlantic Records following their departure from Century Media. Threads of Life is an album that has a balance between melodic metal and hardcore inspired thrash. Not one to get labeled in any one subgenre, they are clearly a metal band at their core, and that shines through in the thrashier elements of their songs. With this latest release, they have taken the next step into really becoming an major force to be reckoned with.

Shadows Fall is a band that took awhile to grow on me. I remember listening to Of One Blood and not really thinking much of it, of course I don't believe I ever gave it a good listen straight through. I never picked up The Art of Balance, although I believe I just may have to now. Then, last year, on a whim I picked up Fallout from the War and discovered just what I had been missing. Granted, it was left over material and some covers from the War Within sessions, but it fast became one of my favorite albums of 2006. I went back and got The War Within, and was impressed with that. You may wonder what this has to do with the review at hand? Well, it all added up to Threads of Life being a highly anticipated release for me.

On first listen, this album is a strong release that shows multiple sides of the band, ranging from the aggression of "Venomous" to the acoustic driven ballad "Another Hero Lost," a personal, emotion filled song dedicated to singer Brian Fair's cousin who died while stationed in Iraq. It is an album that builds off the momentum they built up from the past two releases and shows a band that is still improving. They are experimenting with acoustic guitar while furthering the evidence of their old school thrash influences.

There is no denying the incredible talent they possess. Beginning with the guitar duo of Matt Bachand and Jon Donais, Shadows Fall has a great base in the guitar world with the thrashy, chunky rhythms, speedy leads they deliver, and the fantastic chemistry between the two. Laying the groundwork and keeping the music ever moving forward is drummer Jason Bittner who impressed me with his work on Fallout from the War and continues to do so here. He not only keeps the rhythm going but he has great fills and transitions that make him interesting to listen to all by himself. Leading them is Brian Fair whose vocal stylings are first rate. He is not a generic screamer, though he can get down and dirty when he is called up, and he also surprises with his clean vocals that I cannot recall ever hearing before.