Quick history lesson for you young’uns out there: Before Shadows Fall had their breakout album, Of One Blood in 2000, they actually released their (far more death metal sounding, and still my favorite SF release) debut album Somber Eyes to the Sky in 1997. That album featured original vocalist Phil Labonte, who, as most of you know went on to form All That Remains initially as a side project. The debut of All That Remains was 2002’s Beyond Silence and Solitude, which was overshadowed by the then huge Shadows Fall and their The Art Of Balance album.
So after two very well received albums, here is the debut again with a new cover and a special price, and those that are familiar with This Darkened Heart and The Fall of Ideals may not instantly recognize this as the same band, especially the rough thrash vocals of Labonte, but will recognize and appreciate the searing lead guitar work of Oli Hebert on this far more primal and raw material.
Basically plying a much more rough and ready form of American Metal before it became vogue or interbreed with metalcore, Behind Silence and Solitude is far more of a melodic thrash album free from catchy clean choruses and real ‘core’ influences. Musically, Hebert and co show how deft they really are with some truly stunning guitar work as heard on standouts “Clarity” and “Erase”, but the hooks and more commercial gloss (i.e. soaring clean choruses) heard on the last two efforts is certainly only in its formative stages here.
At the special price, fans of the band that are unfamiliar with this up until now relative rare release, should check this out if not for just the two tracks mentioned above and hear the band that I personally I think are better than the overrated Shadows Fall.
