Shadows Fall are back with “In the Grey,” their first new song in 12 years. The band has also inked a new record deal with MNRK Heavy.
The Boston metal act released seven albums from 1997 through 2012, before going on hiatus in 2015. The band reunited to play a concert in December 2021, and has been playing sporadic shows ever since.
“In the Grey” features Shadows Fall’s classic lineup of singer Brian Fair; guitarists Jonathan Donais (also a current member of Anthrax) and Matt Bachand; bassist Paul Romanko; and drummer Jason Bittner. The song is a riff-heavy track with Fair delivering guttural verses and a clean-sung chorus.
Along with the song’s release, Fair issued a lengthy statement addressing the single, the band’s return to the studio, the new record deal, and plans for the future:
“We are incredibly excited to share our first new music in over a decade with our single ‘In the Grey’ and are proud to announce our partnership with MNRK Music Group. When Shadows Fall first got back in the practice space to prepare for our reunion shows, we did not know if it would lead to new music, but the excitement of jamming together and all of the riffs that Jon had floating around in his head led us in the direction almost immediately. The idea began flowing, the energy started building and new songs began taking form out of the the chaos.
‘In the Grey’ is a full-throttle thrasher that contains all of the elements that are the bedrock of the Shadows Fall sound, but also adds new elements and approaches that developed in the recent past while we all explorer other musical avenues. Lyrically, I was trying to put into words and describe the physical manifestation of the weight and crushing power that can come with depression, that feeling that the weight of gravity is crashing down on you or being trapped in the dark waters of our own mind, trying to rise to the surface and take a breath. It can be an overwhelming and lonely place but there is always a light at the end of that tunnel and we always need to keep striving for a brighter day and escaping the grey.
“We want to sincerely thank everyone for the decades of support that you have given Shadows Fall and we cannot be happier to be back and rocking once again. Crank up ‘In the Grey,’ raise those horns to the sky, and bang your head as hard as you can. Stay tuned for more music and news soon…”
Regarding the new record deal, Scott Givens, MNRK’s SVP of Rock & Metal, stated, “When you get the chance to sign a genre-defining band like Shadows Fall, you do it. We at MNRK are proud they have chosen to work with us as they enter the next phase of their career.”
Shadows Fall will play a December 21st show at The Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts, celebrating the 20th anniversary of their fourth album, The War Within (pick up tickets here).
Watch the video for “In the Grey” below.