SHADOWS FALL Frontman: 'Bands Need To Be More Proactive And Do Things Themselves'

Jeffrey Easton of Metal Exiles recently conducted an interview with vocalist Brian Fair of Massachusetts metallers SHADOWS FALL. A couple of excertps from the chat follow below.

Metal Exiles: The new record is great but do you think "Retribution" tops "Threads Of Life"?

Brian Fair: For me "Retribution" is more of a balanced record because it shows all of our influences from everything we listen to — from old-school thrash, melodic death metal and old-school hardcore. "Threads" was more focused on a big old-school kind of rock sound. This is more balanced but there are moments of each that I appreciate but then the band is always going to appreciate their new record the most. To me it was a natural progression to get to "Retribution". It took ten-plus years of the band to get to that point.

Metal Exiles: You have had moments of melodic metal amongst the other influences in the past so why did you want to do "Retribution" this way?

Brian: It was where we were at when we started writing. The first song that we wrote was "Public Execution" and then "War". We came out of the gates with a very heavy as that was the vibe we were going for. That was where the record was heading but there are still some melodic moments with "Picture Perfect" and "The Taste Of Fear" but the tone was set by the first few songs that we wrote. Jonathan just had some angry riffs in the bag.

Metal Exiles: Do you feel that with your next record you will follow a different path?

Brian: We have no idea but we have an idea that we will write a pretty heavy record because some of the preliminary ideas that we have had have been in that direction. Also Matt and Jonathan have been writing some melodic rock stuff separately to get that vibe out with a separately for a side project. I have a feeling that it will be a pretty nasty record but we always plan something then another thing completely different thing comes out.

Metal Exiles: One interesting thing about this album is that you released it on your own imprint but it debuted higher than your last album on Atlantic. How did that happen?

Brian: A little of it is funny math. The last one sold about the same but this one charted higher because nobody buys records anymore so the entire chart is lower. We enjoyed ourselves on Atlantic and learned a lot of good lessons but they did not understand was how to promote a band like us. They tried to fit us into their model of big money on videos and radio and hoping it all works out. We put our resources into peer-to-peer and touring. With this record we were able to focus the campaign ourselves so it was easy to get to the right people.

Metal Exiles: You have done Century, Atlantic and now your own label. Are you giving yourself a lesson in label politics?

Brian: That is the thing — we self-released our first record, went to an indie, a major label and now we are doing a distribution deal where we own the record. We took the good and bad of all of those to form into our own business model. It is completely band-controlled because when you sign to a label, it is a loan as they own the rights the recording. You pay everything back and get a tiny percentage later on. This way we are at the top so we control everything, publishing included, and do not waste money. It makes us work harder as it is going back into our pocket and it makes us work smarter because if you make a mistake it is your own fault and if you waste money it is your own money. I think it is the way of the future because, as the business adapts to new things, the bands just need to be more proactive and do things themselves.

Metal Exiles: Do you think that will be the norm in the future as more labels close or downsize?

Brian: I think bands are going to find a team to promote it and build it around that and they should. It will be harder for new bands to do that as they do not have the legacy to do that but at least a band like us have been around long enough to have made the right contacts to do it. Unfortunately, bands these days are signing 360 deals where they are giving away a portion of everything (meaning money from CD sales, merch and touring) including their unborn kids, probably. The industry is changing drastically and it will take a real band movement to take back control and now is the opportunity.

Read the entire interview from Metal Exiles.