Band:	Shadows Fall
Album:	Somber Eyes To The Sky
Style:	Melodic death metal
Release date:	November 30, 1997
Guest review by:	Arian Totalis

01. Revel In My Loss
02. Pure
03. Lead Me Home
04. To Ashes
05. Nurture
06. Fleshold
07. Eternal
08. Suffer The Season
09. Somber Angel
10. Lifeless

Ah, Shadows Fall, one of my favourite metal bands. Their genre known to some as Metalcore, known to others as Thrash. However, for their début 1998 release, "Somber Eyes To The Sky," I think that there can be no disputing that it is different from the majority of their discography. This album leans closer to the Melodeath sound, and the only other Shadows Fall album that comes close to the sound of "Somber Eyes" is their second release, "Of One Blood." This is the Labonte era album, when both He and Matthew Bachand departed from their previous Death Metal band, "Perpetual Doom" and formed Shadows Fall. This inevitably had an impact on the sound of the original Shadows Fall lineup. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Somber Eyes album.

Overall, this album is brutal and daunting, harsh and melodic, inspiring and depressing. Yes indeed it seems almost a paradox in itself. It has parts that have particularly clean guitar, and very memorable as well as crushing riffs. There is even an acoustic instrumental entitled "Lead Me Home." Bachand's rhythm work on this album is choppy compared to later Shadows Fall albums, but that helps contribute to the cult sound the album has. Not only that, but the lead work of John Donais is exceptional, while not living up to the technical work of "The War Within" nor the catchiness of "The Art Of Balance," it still is a force to be reckoned with. Would you like to be killed with great fills and double bass work? Well you'll see why David "The Germ" Germain got his nickname, because the drums on this album are also undeniably fast, brutal, and spread like a disease. Labonte has a much more rough, brutal voice on this album than he does today. While not as diverse on this album as he is with his current band, he definitely is one of the biggest reasons why Somber Eyes To The Sky can be appropriately deemed "Death Metal." The opening song, "Revel in My Loss" is a great way to start an album. It's full of instrumental switches, a crazy solo, and Labonte compliments the song greatly with his deep and deadly voice. The fourth track, "To Ashes" is another greatly celebrated Shadows Fall classic. The intro is a great bassline with the drums accompanying it. After that it isn't much longer until the guitars kick off with an energetic and melodic riff followed by Labonte letting out the legendary cry "WHY?!"

I'd say the overall production of the album is a little sketchy, given it's their début album. But for that very reason it has a unique sound, making it worthy of the title "classic." The dragging nature of "Fleshhold", however, makes me feel inclined to take a small deduction from the score.

Album highlights: Revel In My Loss, To Ashes, Lead Me Home.