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Title: Solid, if amateurish, debut
Review: Shadows Fall debuted with this album, a slice of aggressive, although diverse metalcore. Boston, MA has emerged as a sort of capital for metalcore bands in recent years, and this band played a significant part in the burgeoning scene. With that aside, I feel that Somber Eyes To The Sky stands as the band's greatest musical statement, despite an apparent number of flaws.Due to lousy production, the songs suffer during the transitions from acoustic breaks to pummeling riff assaults, much like in the second track "Pure". I noticed that the drummer falls behind during more of the technically demanding parts, but on a debut album this can be overlooked. The layered vocals and graceful guitar harmonies deserve praise, and the band never steps into self-indulgent territories. Although the second half of the album isn't as strong as the first, I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys hardcore, metalcore, or "Gothenburg" tinged metal.
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