Shadows Fall had an underground hit with their last outing "Of One Blood" and with mainstream media such as MTV now moving in to champion the band, "The Art Of Balance" looks to be their meal ticket to success in the ever evolving (or is that devolving?) world of metal. What's significant about Shadows Fall getting this type of recognition though is that they are not just another run of the mill nu-metal act like the many others who have received such attention as of late, rather they are a blast from metal's past bridged with traces of the fiercest of today's new breed. An amalgamation of say Killswitch Engage and early Metallica/Bay Area thrash metal, the band have moved away from the heavy Gothenburg influences that permeated their last effort and headed in a direction more reminiscent of late 80's thrash; And by combining a keen sense of melody with bludgeoning double kick drumming and titanium shredding riffs they have managed to inject a lively sense of technical ability and antagonistic energy into their unforgivingly loose brand of metalcore based aggression.

Band frontman Brian Fair is sounding more versatile than ever this time out, focusing a greater amount of energy into his melodic vocals and as such turning a wealth of the songs included on "The Art Of Balance" into soon to be mosh pit anthems. Constantly teetering between gritty sing alongs and full on demonic wails his vocals are a perfect fit for the music on hand. The guitar work however is still a solo laden affair, tackling the listener with brawny thrash driven riffs and a few drawn out textured harmonies that tend to bring about a traditional side of metal that hasn't been heard from by modern acts in quite sometime. The bass playing is rock solid as expected and lays down a slightly detuned growl which skillfully supports the often recklessly heroic guitar work while also ensuring a steady rolling rhythm that is essentially pulverized by the thunderous drumming performance laid down by the bands new skin smasher, Jason Bittner. Overflowing with double kick driven pugnacity, his contributions are a key component of the bands momentum and brutality, taking the music to new levels with their rough around the edges intensity and blunt displays of power.

With a stronger emphasis on accessibility and diversity in place on this album Shadows Fall have arguably taken their craft to the next level and as a result the material is much more engaging and easier to get into than it has been in the past. Their songs sound far more invigorated and with a few melodic ballads and an overall stronger style of song writing now being exercised, they offer up a lot more depth. Admittedly they're still not a band for everyone as their present sound can almost feel a bit nostalgic at times and their tendency to cake every song with overblown solos that border on guitar wank will no doubt be lost on those raised on the newer metal acts of today, but as far as musicianship and talent is concerned this band easily take in high honors. In the end, "The Art Of Balance" is an album that is strong and engaging enough to win the band over a slew of new fans but it is unfortunately not likely that it will take them to the superstar proportions that many have them pegged for as the public at large is still not all that receptive to the brand of metal they relentlessly bash out. Fittingly titled however, this effort finds the band balancing out their melodic and heavier sides to a near perfect mix, now if only they could even out those unruly guitar solos...