It's been 12 years since Shadows Fall released new music but the drought may soon be over, singer Brian Fair revealed in a new interview with Sh!t Talk Radio. Speaking to the interviewer, Fair confirmed that they have a record label—though he didn't specify which—that would allow the band to release it "in a way that makes sense."
The dreadlock-wearing singer elaborated: "It's very different now. The traditional sort of record deal, it doesn't have to be the way it used to be. There was such an industry standard of, like, record a full-length, tour for a year and a half, record a full-length, tour for a year and a half, that kind of cycle. And it's been totally decimated now, 'cause you don't need to do the… The first-week [sales] numbers don't mean what they used to, all that type of shit. So it's cool. But, yeah, we've got a good partnership that hopefully we can announce soon."
On their progress recording, Fair said that Shadows Fall have a couple songs completely recorded and a number of instrumentals awaiting vocals.
"When we kind of stopped touring, it wasn't 'cause we didn't wanna make music together or didn't want to play. We were so burnt out. Life was taking different turns. People were having kids. Jon [Donais] ended up in Anthrax, so he was in the Big Four all of a sudden. So once we finally got together to start playing shows again a few years ago, the idea of new music came up almost right away.
"And Jon just had a stockpile of riffs. And so far we've probably, instrumentally, got, say, seven-ish songs recorded that are pretty done. I know there's gonna be some overdubs and some candy tracks. Vocally, I've recorded two all the way through that are done and then have probably four more that are written that are, I'd say, 90 percent there. There's always changes while we track, like little new ideas that pop up, but it's going along super well."
As for the release? Don't expect a traditional album from the Boston melodic death metal/metalcore stalwarts.
"Also, I don't think we're gonna release it all at once. I think now, thankfully, modern ways of doing things, you don't have to just drop a 10-song album. You can do a few just like little chunks here and there. So we're hoping to probably get some music out late fall, I'm hoping, at least a couple songs. And my plan, if it all goes according to me, would be to do that, drop two or three songs every chunk and then put 'em all out on vinyl at the end like as one. So in my world, that's what we're doing. We'll see if it actually happens."
Shadows Fall last released new music in the form of 2012's Fire from the Sky, which was released on Razor & Tie. The band remained active until 2015 and reunited in 2021. They are scheduled to perform their seminal 2004 album, The War Within, in December.
