• Definitely one of the longest and most enjoyable conversations I've ever had. You might call it an interview but if you read carefully the following text then you'll be able to realize that it's more of a friendly talk rather than a "cold" interview. Of course this is because of Shadow Fall's singer, Brian, who proved to be a really friendly person with a great sense of humor. Listen to the "Art Of Balance" and you'll relaize that nothignwas left to luck but everything is pure TALENT!

• Thank you very much! I am glad you liked it! We are really very happy with the way it came out. A lot of work for what we think is our best album and yet the best example.

• We've just spent most of our time on the road touring non stop. Actually another big deal is that Jason joined us on drums after our last album was released and that was kind of the final piece to the puzzle and now the line up is exactly how we always kind of wanted it to be. He is an amazing drummer and he added it a lot to our sound and since then we have been touring non stop in the U.S. and then we just took time to record our new album and we've been on the road since the day we finished recording this album! Hahaha!

• Yeah! It's been a long hard run and we are still just at the beginning since new year we've been on the road and we had about a week off total. Right after this tour, we fly home do a festival in the States, fly back to do a festival in the U.K. and then start the entire Ozzfest in the U.S., so it's not gonna end till September!

• We recorded it at the same place we did the last record, Planet Z. It's our friend's studio in Massachussets. The producer is a very good friend of ours and he is kind of involved in the band since the early days, so he knows what we are all about. He helped us get the best performances out of us. He also really allowed us to have an open ended time frame, we had no restrictions. He just wanted to make sure that we got the best performances we could and get the best sound we could, so there was no real pressureas far as the time frame went, so it was the most relax studio experience we've ever had, being able to rework things and everyone was totally happy! The writing process took a while but that's just because the technical side of things takes a while to work it all up. We definitely put a lot more time to this one than any recordings we've done in the past, because we had more time and a little bit more money to work with! Haha!

• There is always little things that you get to hear back and they drive you crazy! Hahaha! The thing about recording is that it captures one moment in time and I think this record accomplished that really well. It really describes where we are at and where our heads are at. We've been listening a lot to older thrash metal and rock 'n' roll so I think that shines through.

• Yeah totally! This thrash sound is kind of creeping through and that was something we really wanted to kind of focus on because especially in the U.S. scene it's kind of pushed at the background for many years, so we kind of brought it back. I know it's been more in the Europe's music, so we kind of wanted to bring it back t the U.S. audience as well. There always little things that drive you nuts, words that I could've put a little more power behind and little fills that could have been tighter but if you worry about that you'll just drive yourself insane! Haha!

• Exactly! It kind of have this energy and feel to it too. You can't really worry about everything being perfect, it will sound too machine like and we definitely want to have that live feel to us.

• Definitely that was part of it! I just thought it summed up a lot about where we are at both musically, you know balancing melody with aggressiveness as well as the technical side with the more rock 'n' roll feel and also the acoustic interludes and write something with more thrash metal riffs or blastbeats style but also we work with positive messages but screamed at you with brutal vocals and also we just thought it was kind of a common ground among few different musical genres as well, wheter it's death metal, hardcore, thrash metal, rock 'n' roll and we just kind of want to bring all these things together. The main reason why it's called the "Art Of Balance" is because it is an art and we definitely don't feel we accomplished that perfect balance to it yet. That's something almost unattainable, kind of a continual challenge and a continual progression and lyrically it just fit. A lot of the ideas are about...I kind of studied the yoga philosophy and things like that and Budha's philosophy and I just kind of accomplish that as well.

• They can really come from varius sources. I usually wait until the music is completely finished and get a vibe from the song itslef. If it's a real epic song I'll probably go to a more epic style like "Fire In Babylon" s the total battle among people, a bybilical like an apocalyptic sort of background, but in some shorter and more angry songs like "Idle Hands", it's definitely about my battle with anger and kind of deal with that and things like that, so usually I wait till I get the vibe from the song. They are fairly personal but I leave it... I don't want to smash 'em over the head with some covered message. I know what I am saying but I'd rather people kind of have to find it within the lyrics themselves but we are not really a preachy band, we don't have an overall like a philosophy so there are really up to the listener and I have conversations with kids who may think something completely different and I could see how they thought that but that was actually not where it was coming from! I think this is funny, it opens up the discussion, talk with the kids about it...

• Ahhh...this song's basically about a sort of meditation and trying to find that...when you are inspired by something it seems like...especially the English language is incapable of totally capturing that moment of inspiration you know in the actual expressions, so it's kind of about trying to find out that point but you can't really accomplish it in words, but it's really about that moment. It's really funny writing a song about something you can't write about! Hahahaha!

• Basically, we put one album out on our own before those two, "Somber Eyes To The Sky" and that was before I even was in the band and "Of One Blood..." which is our Century Media debut, the one we had a label behind and you know in Japan we did the Beast Feast festival the first year and the label really want to have something kind of to push to kind of promote that, so we had some newer songs and some older songs we recorded them with some live tracks from a show In New York and from a radio show in Boston and just included that as something special to promote that festival and then when we were doing the European Kittie tour Century Media wanted to have something to promote as well so we included a remastered version of "Of One Blood..." and the "Deadworld" Ep live tracks, to have something for this tour to kind of put the name back in people's minds but this is the first real album since "Of One Blood..." with new material.

• It has some video tracks and a cool Cd-rom, that features a photo gallery, some other tricks and biography and some random interview footage of us from tour for our friends. This edition is for the kinds who really want to find something more and special. I always like the special limited editions whether it's a colored vinyl or a digi pack, makes it look a little more special and helps the real collectors have something to seek out for.

• Totally! We've all come from varied background, but the common ground we share is in that old thrash metal and traditional metal. We all listen to bands like old Metallica, Testament and also Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, but after that we all grew up playing in hardcore bands so these influences are always gonna be there but we are also huge fans of old school rock 'n' roll like Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin. We don't really grow about to mix those things together. When we write together as a band all things come up since we all have some a varied background. We never wanted to belong to only one genre, so we are lucky having the chance to tour with such a variety of bands. You know we played with King Diamond and Kittie and all those band sin between so it's kind of cool for us to be able to snick in between genres and as musicians it helps us keep an open mind and not keep ourselves trapped within one genre and start repeating ourselves over and over again so this allows us to have room to work with.

• Yeah! I definetely grew up listening to death metal but a lot of the death metal bands I listen to are the older ones. The first 2 Entombed albums, Morbid Angel. "Blessed Are The Sick" by MOrbid Angel is one of my favorite death metal albums. Occasionally I like some new bands that push it further, like Cryptopsy and I loved a lot of melodic death metal bands like At The Gates who are huge and amazing. I was lucky enough to have the chance with my previous band to play twice with them when they came over to States with Napalm Death. It was just amazing to see them live! Nowadays, I go back to my collection with the real old school stuff, Judas Priest and old Maiden vinyl.

• It seems to be getting better all the time. I mean for a while it was definetely underground as you could imagine, playing shows in people's basements and people's kitchens and it was a small scene and everyine kind of new each other cause all the bands helped each other by taking each other on tours and it's not like a competition but it's trying to help each other and it seems now...we did a headlining tour in the States. It was great! we had packed rooms everyday, we had shows in L.A., Boston, New York city and just to see this kind of response is great. Even MTV and some other video shows on channel music dedicating full hours to extreme rock and playing videos from bands like Soilwork and In Flames and things like that. This support wasn't there until recently and this year even the Ozzfest the second stage is almost all kind of what we are considered underground metal bands, Cradle Of Filth, us, etc. and to have that on Ozzfest, a festival like that was unheared of five years ago. I defintely think it's making a step forward. Even European bands have a greater response over here, so it's great and hopefully it will continue. Hopefully it won't become a trend and everything will be ruined, so hopefully the bands who are doing it for the right reasons will continue it and kids will totally find out about a sound that they thought it disappeared.

• We're gonna be doing this tour with Children of Bodom and Soilwork. We are really excited about it and it starts tomorrow or in the next days or so. It's the first time we're gonna tour with bands that are similar to our style. The last time we came to Europe it was with kittie and it was really great but it was a different scene and no one knew who we were, but it was great cause we made a lot of new fans but this is the first time we're gonna hit a lot of other countries we've never been to. We'll tour most of the Europe. I have to have the schedule in front of me to see which countries are gonna be but I know it's about 4.5 weeks so it's definitely a long solid tour...

• I am not sure! I have to look! Hahaha! I am always the last one to know! Hahaha!

• I think our new album has an appeal to fans of a variety of styles of heavy music, so I think it has a familiar sound to old things without sounding retro. I don't think it sounds old school but it has that vibe to it, so everyone who is fan of this style he can definitely find things that can appreciate in our new record as well as kids who are more into the new modern sound they will like it cause I think we kind of covered a lot of ground there. We just try to keep an open mind and as fans of heavy music we just pay tribute to all those genres.

• I think that willingness to experiment a little more and not just be locked in one genre. I think that's what sets us differ a little bit, it's that we are willing to branch out and cover a bit more ground. We just never want to get stuck, writing in a formula that it's the same over and over again. As musician that would drive me insane, just repeating myself over and over again so I think each album is gonna show progression. That's what may set us apart from some of the bands, but I thknk many good bands are willing to experiment and try out new things cause otherwise you are standing doing the same things over and over again.

• Hmm...I'd probably say me! Hahahaha! I don't want to say anything bad for the rest of the band! I just think we just don't really care. We are selfish about our music, so that may be our wickest point. We really write about ourselves and kind of worry about how people are going to react about it later.

• Yeah! Well for us is probably the most important but I can see how other people might want to hear "Of One Blood..." number 2 or "Art Of Balance" part 2. We're never gonna do that. We are always gonna try and capture where we are at at that moment and really stick to our guns and stay true to our own vision.

• I'd probably want something really twisted, kind of psychological thriller when you can go for those moments of real ambient kind of mellow to just total rage and anger, so it must be something in the lines of like...let me think of a good example...for an old movie "Flatline". I don't know if you remember that?

• That would be an amazing movie!

• Ahh...I'd probably ask him "When did you lose control?". Hahahaha! Cause it seems like things have span so far out of control that there can't really be a masterplan. It's such a confusing and random world that this would definitely be my first question. The way I see it this world has definitely span into a random course of events, I just try to have my own personal...I just try to accomplish the most I can as a person cause I think the worldwide scales are so bizzare now and so strange that it has gone I think beyond anyone's control!

• Hmm..that's a tough question. I'd probably go back to a more primtive time, when things were a lot simplier and little bit more instinctual. Not necessarily caveman time, but somewhere where people live more of the land and has more tribes than seperate countries and stuff like that. What I would definitely miss is the comfort and technology of today. Not having a play station and a Cd would be tough, but as long as I was in a place warm like Tahiti or something like that I wouldn't mind that much! Hahaha!

• I'd do my best! I am the hippie of the band, so I guess the rest might have a different idea! Hahaha!

• I think we cover a spectrum of emotions. We are definitely passionate but I think we cover all those emotions from rage to really tranquillity and this is what we really try to accomplish, cause I really want each song to have a flow that has peaks and valleys. I don't want to have just rage all the time or just mellowness all the time.

• Ohh...Well on this album if you painted what we were really like in the studio then it just be a banch of drunk guys playing metal, cause we definitely had a good time so I kind of feel there is this vibe, but I don't know this is tough so I have to think about it for a while, cause I really think music is very visual, I think there's many colors you can use with music. I have to step back and picture the album as a whole. It's tough! I think that the album covers a lot of things but that's the difficult thing with art, you never kind of manage to capture the vibe, you can just get as close as you can!

• I'd be insane! I can't even imagine! I'm 27 years old now and I've been performing in bands since I was 12 years old. I've never really wanted to do anything else. I've always been a huge fan of music. I've learned many different instruments starting with the violin when I was very young, moving on the trompet and then guitar, bass, drums and everything in between and I ended up as a singer. I don't know how that happened! Hahahaha! I imagine that I'd find some other art form or some sort of sport, I've always been a skateboarder so it's always been another form of expression, but honestly music has always been my first and really only love that I've really committed a huge part of myslef to you know. Being in a band in our situation you really need to dedicate yourself to it entirely!

• Possibly in some more acoustic songs...Actually on our first record "Somber Eyes To The Sky" there was a violin piece in one of the acoustic songs played by our former drummer's girlfriend at the time, so it was at the songs called "Lead Me Home" so it really added nicely to the acoustic, melodic guitars. I don't think we'll try to fit it in over the blastbeats but maybe in the acoustics.

• I get some random questions about my hair a lot! Hahaha! I've never been surprised...I've had people asking me what type of fruit I'd be if I was a fruit and stuff like that! You never know what's you're gonna get in an interview! Hahahaha...!

• Hahahahaha!!!! I can't even imagine!! Hahaha...

• You know a lot of the topics have been covered. I usually like when people try to discuss the philosophy behind the lyrics, just step outside more the questions out of the biography and actually when we have a conversation then it's most enjoyable and whenever I'm interviewed by someone who is a fan of the band. This is always a good time as well!

• Probably...One of my first ever shows with Shadows Fall, it was a large show with Fear Factory and System Of A Down in a gym in Massachssetts then during the second song my belt broke and my jeens where too large to keep them on their own, so I had to perform most of the set in my underwear and unfortunately I happen to be wearing Micky Mouse boxers so I don't think I looked all that tough or death metal! Hahahahahaha!!!! Generally we are used to weird things on stage...most of the time knocking someone with my microphone! Hahahahahaha!

• Hahahaha! That's Ok! After all it IS hilarious! The pictures are so funny! The Fear Factory guys still remember us as the band whose singer was in his underwear! Hahaha

• Hahahaha! Yeah with the Micky Mouse underwear! Normally now I only wear decent pair of boxers on stage! Hahahaha!

21.WHICH ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS BLOODY AND CATASTROPHIC WAR AGAINST IRAQ?

• I am pretty much opposent to war of any form. I'm a vegeretian. I don't think I have the right to take an animal's life much less another person's life, so I just think it's something history has proven to us many times that we don't accoplish anything except for destruction and usually it perpetuates more and more violence. I am just hoping for a quick end and for a peaceful resolve as possible. I just can't believe that certain people think they have the power to kind of take lives in their own hands. Back in the days at least when kings had a problem they fought together on a battlefield and they were there. Now there are just men and women sitting in a room and pushing buttons and telling other people what to do!

• Yeah! And it comes down as a loss of civilian lives, so I can see both sides arguments why the are standing against each other. I, as a peaceful person. can't imagine taking it to that level of violence, so...

• Exactly! I am the same way! Like I said I can't even take an animal's life to it. I just rather eat vegetables and watch them grow back...hahaha... To me is a situation that hopefully will resolve itself but history's proven that one thing that happens it's war over and over again and it seems like a part of the world is constantly at war with another part of the world so hopefully people will realize one day! That's another reason why for myself just being trying to change my own little world for the better because I realize there is no way I'm gonna change the world as a whole. Kind of given up that ideal a long time ago! Haha! Trying to have a personal evolution in myself and try to do the best I can as a person.

• Exactly! Exactly! So, you've just got to save yourself!

• Exactly! That's the problem with something widespread as immediately associated with choices of a few from your country, so hopefull people will remember to seperate this as well...that this is a few individuals and their battle of ego more than anything else.

• Nope! It's never ever worked! It's always been destruction for the sake of destruction.

22.THANK YOU! HAVE I FORGOTTEN TO ASK YOU ANYTHING AND YOU'D LIKE TO MENTION?

• Thank you so much for this really interesting interview! Just hopefully people will check out "The Art Of Balance" and keep an open mind and also they can check out http://www.shadowsfall.com for any sort of updates and info and they can post their messages in our message board as well. Drop as a line and say hello! Excellent! Thank you so much! I appreciate it!

• Bye! Take care!