Updated: 09/22/02

Shadows Fall have been constantly on the road since the release of their Of One Blood album - one almost wonders how the band has found time to record an all new set of tunes. Well, The Art Of Balance is the name of their next great release, and it's destined to open even more doors for this hard working metal band. In between all the touring and recording, a member of Shadows Fall actually found some time to do an e-mail interview. Read on to learn all about The Metallic Art Of Shadows Fall...

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Shadows Fall, and how long the band has been together.

I am Matt Bachand, Guitar/vocals. Shadows Fall has been together since summer 1996.

So where did you get the idea for the album title The Art Of Balance? This could mean a lot of things...

Each track has its own identity... Whether its a 9 minute metal epic, a 3 minute rock song, a melodic death song, etc. all the bases are covered and it's a balance of all types of metal.

How do you think The Art Of Balance compares to your previous albums?

It is more complete in that it was written with everyone involved. On previous albums, a lot of the material was already written before certain members came into the mix.

You guys seem to always be on the road touring. What has been the best and worst part of touring so far?

I love touring, playing shows, seeing new places... that's all great. But sleeping in the van with 6 guys at a gas station all night in February with no heat after a 35 hour drive... that's not so fun.

How did the tour with Kittie go and how did you initially hook up with Kittie in the first place?

It was great... They had actually requested us for their European tour back in February which went great as well... We had such a good time we did it in the states again!

Shadows Fall and Glassjaw sounds like an unusual combination for a tour. How did those shows go?

They were quite good. it was a very different crowd that we don't get to play in front of all the time... but it was a great time. Glassjaw are good friends and it's always a good time when you can get out on the road with friends.

Tell me about the Beast Feast with Slayer and Pantera. What was the experience like to play in Japan?

It was amazing. Hopefully we will get to do it again. The fans are very respectful and bands are treated very well over there by promoters as well.

Where do you get the ideas for some of the lyrics on the new album?

(This is Brian's answer)... I have always tried to express a positive message in our songs with a spiritual side to the lyrics. I have always been intrigued by various philosophies and religions and studied Chinese Buddhism and Hindu mythology extensively. These themes always find a way of sneaking their way into my lyrics. It is just a part of everything in my life so it only comes natural to express them lyrically. I feel like the darker side of life has been covered often enough in metal music. I am not a very evil or dark person so I felt I would be fooling myself if I tried to write stereotypical "evil" metal lyrics. I would rather offer people something more personal, a little insight into myself. It also creates a sense of balance with the heaviness and brutality of the music. Yin and Yang , light and dark. It is all about balance.

What do you think of the state of the US metal scene these days?

It is starting to pick up... bands like Killswitch Engage are beginning to get a lot of attention and its well deserved. Real metal has been ignored far too long.

It would be cool to see you guys kick some ass at an American festival like Ozzfest or even The Warped Tour (well, they did ask Nevermore...). Is that something you would want to do?

Absolutely. We have done a Warped Tour date back in '98 on the local stage and it went very well.

Your former vocalist is in a band called All That Remains. What do you think of the band and their new album on Metal Blade?

It's great. He's doing what he always wanted to do and I'm glad someone put out the album so others can hear how good it really is.

What are the future plans for Shadows Fall?

Tour, Tour, Tour.

Do you have any messages for Shadows Fall fans or people who might be interested in checking out your music?

Thanks for the support, check out www.shadowsfall.com, and see you on the road!