| | Full Review | Ratings (903) |
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| 5.0 classic | Brandon Scott EMERITUS | September 19th 12 |
When Shadows Fall released The War Within, it was just another album, albeit a great one but there was nothing overtly special about it; it didn't make any crazy cultural impact, it wasn't the most original album and it wasn't even the best album of the year... but it will forever remain a life-changing release for me. You see, this is the first record I bought with screamed vocals, a decision that changed my musical life. From this point on there were no more boundaries, no more caps to what I could listen to. This album opened my mind to world of extreme metal and will forever and always remain a milestone in my musical development.
2 Bumps | Bump |
| 3.5 great | Robbit | December 27th 16 |
Stunning musicianship and some really promising work from Shadows Fall at this point their career. The opening song "The Light That Blinds" has always been my favorite Shadows Fall track. It opens with some acoustic interplay a la Metallica's "Battery" before launching into some soaring guitar arpeggios, devilish tremolo picked guitar riffs and stunning double bass work by Jason Bittner. In fact, there are many great moments throughout the album including "What Drives The Weak", "The Power Of I & I" and "Those Who Cannot Speak". What ruins the party for me is Brian Fair's metalcore style of singing, which I suppose is a matter of taste. For that reason only, I've been unable to elevate this album as anything better than simply great. But the musicianship really is quite impeccable here and I won't deny I have great respect for what they'd accomplished here.
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 3.5 great | TRMshadow | October 11th 10 |
good 'ol metalcore, just like I remember it; a genre full of over-used riffs that brings nothing new to the table. It's not that this album is all that horrible at its heart, but it just perpetuates the same crap that every other metalcore album does. Though on this album there is a bit of progression and experimentation (which is what in the end pulls it up above a 3 rating) it just can't hold my attention. It brings up some seemingly bad-a** riffs and awesome solos, but at it's heart it is just another face in the crowd; slightly different, but in the big picture indistinguishable from the rest. 3.4/5
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 3.5 great | Xenorazr | January 16th 10 |
The transition between this album and its predecessor is rather noticeable, even by the band's gradually changing style. Less stands out as much here, but the second half of the album does contain some great material that should quench those longing for thrash-esque metalcore.
1 Bumps | Bump |
| 0.0 | Interviewer/surveyer | April 23rd 08 |
Definitely not anything that will stand out, but decent nonetheless. I don't really like the acoustic intros in the first and last song, reminded too much of metallica, and the songwriting is pretty much one dimensional and bland. Definitely not a 4.5 or a 4 even, you can't give a rating that high to a generic "safe" metal band.
Bump |
| 0.0 | Theunbrokenwolf | March 10th 08 |
This album is definatly one of thier best. Ive only been recently introduced to them but over all ive seen many of their songs and some of their best stand out here. The guitar is Awesome in every song. Vocal wise It could be better but hey im not complaining. The band is making their mark.
Bump |
| 4.0 excellent | JimFear | February 4th 25 |
| 4.0 excellent | botman | July 30th 24 |
| 2.5 average | Davey | April 29th 24 |
| 3.5 great | MaSuPe | February 29th 24 |
| 3.5 great | Jake E. | November 18th 23 |
| 5.0 classic | MrDoe | November 9th 23 |
| 4.5 superb | borkle | August 20th 23 |
| 4.0 excellent | haley | May 31st 23 |
| 3.5 great | FunJan | March 28th 23 |
| 4.0 excellent | haxxiy | March 4th 23 |
| 4.0 excellent | EXSCHISM | February 16th 23 |
| 5.0 classic | KManoc1 | January 7th 23 |
| 3.0 good | dballs | December 15th 22 |
| 3.5 great | Frnwe1 | September 4th 22 |
| 4.0 excellent | boff | June 27th 22 |
| 3.0 good | vult | June 17th 22 |
| 3.5 great | Matty CONTRIBUTOR | June 17th 22 |
| 4.0 excellent | Dubboop | March 1st 22 |
| 3.0 good | Zakusz | January 4th 22 |
| 4.0 excellent | teo | June 4th 21 |
| 3.5 great | Luna | April 2nd 21 |
| 4.0 excellent | bSmith | February 15th 21 |
| 4.0 excellent | vdop | November 12th 20 |
| 2.5 average | remi | October 28th 20 |
| 3.0 good | Leeb890 | September 24th 20 |
| 3.5 great | mEyck07 | November 18th 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | eljonny | October 31st 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | kodama | August 4th 19 |
| 3.0 good | nbats | July 16th 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | josh | June 10th 19 |
| 4.5 superb | Josh | March 9th 19 |
| 4.0 excellent | stoopk1d | September 16th 18 |
| 5.0 classic | YuckFou | September 11th 18 |
| 5.0 classic | TrivirT | January 5th 18 |
| 3.5 great | Fear | December 27th 17 |
| 5.0 classic | PWD | November 12th 17 |
| 4.5 superb | triviut | November 5th 17 |
| 2.5 average | solrage | September 26th 17 |
| 3.5 great | ElSomni | September 16th 17 |
| 4.0 excellent | Jedaum | March 3rd 17 |
| 3.5 great | Emim | December 12th 16 |
| 3.0 good | mursu | November 3rd 16 |
| 3.0 good | Wolfe | October 26th 16 |
| 4.0 excellent | gilly | September 26th 16 |
| 4.5 superb | Redlar | July 4th 16 |
| 4.2 excellent | Ryan P STAFF | June 2nd 16 |
| 4.5 superb | alexts | April 24th 16 |
| 2.5 average | endtime | February 20th 16 |
| 4.5 superb | Keira | December 27th 15 |
| 4.0 excellent | mEyck97 | October 4th 15 |
| 2.5 average | "Tab" | September 15th 15 |
| 3.5 great | ngk44 | August 12th 15 |
| 4.0 excellent | Korpcun | January 30th 15 |
| 2.5 average | slaps | December 17th 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | BDoms17 | October 29th 14 |
| 3.0 good | Titan | October 26th 14 |
| 2.5 average | ariich | October 5th 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | heck | September 20th 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | hsb | July 7th 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | Sebe | June 5th 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | Puckoff | February 27th 14 |
| 5.0 classic | mobb49 | February 4th 14 |
| 3.5 great | Zeg | February 4th 14 |
| 2.5 average | Qorx | January 19th 14 |
| 4.0 excellent | Thibs | January 17th 14 |
| 2.5 average | FlakMT | January 14th 14 |
| 3.5 great | Ramoy95 | December 31st 13 |
| 3.5 great | Axl752 | November 1st 13 |
| 2.0 poor | adr | October 31st 13 |
| 3.2 good | Trey STAFF | August 31st 13 |
| 4.0 excellent | pmellis | February 7th 13 |
| 2.5 average | Ecotone | December 23rd 12 |
| 1.5 very poor | random | November 12th 12 |
| 4.5 superb | pbass0 | October 12th 12 |
| 3.0 good | Xav | October 2nd 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | drm6565 | August 17th 12 |
| 3.0 good | Spice | July 24th 12 |
| 3.5 great | RAWZ95 | June 22nd 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | ANJ45 | March 13th 12 |
| 3.5 great | vinceG | March 10th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | TBliss2 | February 27th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | StBrox | February 2nd 12 |
| 3.5 great | CutMan | January 15th 12 |
| 4.0 excellent | pencils3 | November 20th 11 |
| 5.0 classic | DieDead | October 30th 11 |
| 3.5 great | Phate72 | September 24th 11 |
| 3.5 great | true | August 14th 11 |
| 3.0 good | AdamK | July 22nd 11 |
| 5.0 classic | Nero87 | June 17th 11 |
| 3.5 great | mcchub | June 13th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | flessj | May 3rd 11 |
| 4.5 superb | Jere581 | February 27th 11 |
| 3.5 great | Luffy | February 5th 11 |
| 3.5 great | Nytro | January 28th 11 |
| 3.5 great | Scoot | January 10th 11 |
| 4.0 excellent | iTrojan | December 30th 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | Volatile | December 15th 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | dgrona | September 21st 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | jmh886 | September 16th 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | BigHans | September 16th 10 |
| 3.5 great | Texture | September 12th 10 |
| 3.0 good | tom960 | August 31st 10 |
| 3.5 great | Rahl | August 29th 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | krinkle | August 21st 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | Ray91 | June 7th 10 |
| 4.0 excellent | Locrian | April 22nd 10 |
| 5.0 classic | SHINFO | April 15th 10 |
| 3.5 great | X3ni92 | January 21st 10 |
| 2.5 average | taroo | December 8th 09 |
| 3.5 great | Jamdbz | November 4th 09 |
| 4.0 excellent | morjens | October 19th 09 |
| 4.0 excellent | Mags172 | October 18th 09 |
| 5.0 classic | vormito | October 14th 09 |
| 4.0 excellent | ameypv | September 13th 09 |
| 4.5 superb | cd87 | September 8th 09 |
| 3.5 great | Inveigh | September 1st 09 |
| 2.5 average | Skyler | August 16th 09 |
| 3.0 good | Mach | May 31st 09 |
| 4.5 superb | Gbhill | April 11th 09 |
| 3.5 great | feehan | February 19th 09 |
| 4.0 excellent | KSE19 | February 1st 09 |
| 3.0 good | KILL | January 31st 09 |
| 2.0 poor | Wongeh | January 17th 09 |
| 4.0 excellent | Comrade | January 15th 09 |
| 3.0 good | Yotimi | December 24th 08 |
| 4.5 superb | mar1s | December 17th 08 |
| 4.0 excellent | Winxco | December 3rd 08 |
| 4.0 excellent | TBliss | November 29th 08 |
| 4.5 superb | Kyle Ward EMERITUS | November 24th 08 |
| 4.5 superb | Rx512 | November 7th 08 |
| 4.0 excellent | Chaz13 | November 7th 08 |
| 3.5 great | Bea | October 27th 08 |
| 3.0 good | Ben101 | October 8th 08 |
| 4.0 excellent | TKEBAB | September 16th 08 |
| 4.0 excellent | gafel | September 10th 08 |
| 4.0 excellent | Scruff | June 9th 08 |
| 5.0 classic | RAGE12 | May 6th 08 |
| 3.0 good | benhxc | February 27th 08 |
| 3.5 great | skitz | February 16th 08 |
| 3.0 good | coopj | February 14th 08 |
| 3.5 great | Acey | January 31st 08 |
| 2.5 average | Valhall | December 22nd 07 |
| 3.5 great | beans | December 20th 07 |
| 1.0 awful | donovr | December 18th 07 |
| 4.0 excellent | a5thdiad | September 24th 07 |
| 3.0 good | jk2two | September 5th 07 |
| 4.5 superb | Shadows | January 14th 05 |
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