Of One Blood
Encyclopedia
Of One Blood is the second studio album by Shadows Fall
, released on April 4, 2000. On this release, the band improved the sometimes muddy and ill-defined production of their debut, Somber Eyes to the Sky
. This was the band's first release on Century Media Records
, featuring Brian Fair
on vocals (replacing Philip Labonte
). This is also the last album featuring the drummer David Germain
, and the last album of the melodic death metal era of Shadows Fall. The album was remixed by Zeuss and remastered by Alan Douches for a reissue, which was released April 15, 2008. The re-release also contains new and updated artwork.
"Root Bound Apollo" was originally an Overcast
song (Brian Fair's former band), but it was not released on any recording made by the band until 2008, on the compilation Reborn to Kill Again
.
, acoustic interludes within the songs, keyboards and blast beat
s, including a more death growl
-like vocal style of Brian Fair, more similar to Philip Labonte
in Somber Eyes to the Sky
. In the next albums, the band would compose shorter songs and screaming
style vocals.
After this album, the band decided to leave the overall melodic death metal sound to find its own sound, "more inspired in hard rock
and thrash metal
", guitarist Matt Bachand states on a interview after releasing the band's next album, The Art of Balance
. All three new versions still contain Phil Labonte's vocals on some parts of the songs.
Additional performer
Production
2008 reissue
Shadows Fall
Shadows Fall is an American heavy metal band from Springfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. They are one of the few contemporary metal bands who take their lyrical influence from Eastern philosophy and some references to the Rastafari culture...
, released on April 4, 2000. On this release, the band improved the sometimes muddy and ill-defined production of their debut, Somber Eyes to the Sky
Somber Eyes to the Sky
Somber Eyes to the Sky is the debut studio album by Shadows Fall, released in 1998 on Matt Bachand's own label Lifeless Records. This was the band's only release with lead singer Philip Labonte .-Track listing:-Personnel:Shadows Fall...
. This was the band's first release on Century Media Records
Century Media Records
Century Media Records is an Independent record label with offices in the United States, Germany, Australia, France, Italy, Sweden, Finland, and the United Kingdom.- Background :...
, featuring Brian Fair
Brian Fair
Brian Fair is an American musician from Massachusetts, best known as lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Shadows Fall. He graduated from Milford High School in 1993 and went on to study literature at Boston University.-History:...
on vocals (replacing Philip Labonte
Philip Labonte
Philip Steven Labonte is an American musician from Massachusetts, best known as the lead singer of the American metalcore band All That Remains and formerly of Shadows Fall.-History:...
). This is also the last album featuring the drummer David Germain
David Germain
David Germain is a drummer who has played in several bands including Shadows Fall and Jaya the Cat. He was born in the United States, but is currently living in the Netherlands.- Biography :...
, and the last album of the melodic death metal era of Shadows Fall. The album was remixed by Zeuss and remastered by Alan Douches for a reissue, which was released April 15, 2008. The re-release also contains new and updated artwork.
"Root Bound Apollo" was originally an Overcast
Overcast (band)
Overcast was an American metalcore band that started in the early 1990s, but broke up in 1998 after an unsuccessful tour; in 2008 they reunited to play a show and announced they would release a new album entitled Reborn to Kill Again with 11 re-recorded classic tracks and two unreleased...
song (Brian Fair's former band), but it was not released on any recording made by the band until 2008, on the compilation Reborn to Kill Again
Reborn to Kill Again
Reborn to Kill Again is an album by the American metalcore band Overcast, which was released on August 19, 2008. It contains 11 classic tracks and 2 unreleased songs."Root Bound Apollo" was first released on Shadows Fall's Of One Blood....
.
Sound style
This is the last album in which the band shows melodic death metal elements, with long guitar solos, tremolo pickingTremolo picking
Tremolo picking, also known as alternate picking or double picking, describes the musical technique of picking on a guitar or other string instrument in which a single note is played repeatedly in quick succession. It can be achieved either with the fingers or with a pick...
, acoustic interludes within the songs, keyboards and blast beat
Blast beat
A blast beat is a drum beat often associated with extreme metal and grindcore, although its usage predates the genres, and is utilised by many different styles of metal...
s, including a more death growl
Death growl
A death growl, also known as death metal vocals, guttural vocals, death grunts, and harsh vocals among other names, is a vocalisation style usually employed by vocalists of the death metal and black metal music genre, but also used in a variety of heavy metal and hardcore punk subgenres.Death...
-like vocal style of Brian Fair, more similar to Philip Labonte
Philip Labonte
Philip Steven Labonte is an American musician from Massachusetts, best known as the lead singer of the American metalcore band All That Remains and formerly of Shadows Fall.-History:...
in Somber Eyes to the Sky
Somber Eyes to the Sky
Somber Eyes to the Sky is the debut studio album by Shadows Fall, released in 1998 on Matt Bachand's own label Lifeless Records. This was the band's only release with lead singer Philip Labonte .-Track listing:-Personnel:Shadows Fall...
. In the next albums, the band would compose shorter songs and screaming
Screaming
A scream, shout, shriek, hoot, holler, vociferation, yell, outcry, or bellow is a loud vocalization in which air is passed through the vocal folds with greater force than is used in regular or close-distance vocalization...
style vocals.
After this album, the band decided to leave the overall melodic death metal sound to find its own sound, "more inspired in hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
and thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
", guitarist Matt Bachand states on a interview after releasing the band's next album, The Art of Balance
The Art of Balance
-Personnel:Shadows Fall*Brian Fair – vocals*Jonathan Donais – lead guitar, vocals*Matt Bachand – guitar, vocals*Paul Romanko – bass*Jason Bittner – drumsAdditional performers*Jim Weeks – drums on "Welcome to the Machine"...
Re-recordings
Three songs from this album—"Fleshold", "Revel in My Loss", and "To Ashes"—were re-recorded from Somber Eyes to the SkySomber Eyes to the Sky
Somber Eyes to the Sky is the debut studio album by Shadows Fall, released in 1998 on Matt Bachand's own label Lifeless Records. This was the band's only release with lead singer Philip Labonte .-Track listing:-Personnel:Shadows Fall...
. All three new versions still contain Phil Labonte's vocals on some parts of the songs.
Track listing
Personnel
Shadows Fall- Brian FairBrian FairBrian Fair is an American musician from Massachusetts, best known as lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Shadows Fall. He graduated from Milford High School in 1993 and went on to study literature at Boston University.-History:...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Jonathan Donais – lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Matt BachandMatt BachandMatt Bachand is an American guitarist born on April 29, 1977. He has very strong death metal and thrash metal influences and he is also backing vocalist for the heavy metal band Shadows Fall. He is known for his deep growls or death growl which is often heard in death metal genre...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, backing vocals - Paul Romanko – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- David GermainDavid GermainDavid Germain is a drummer who has played in several bands including Shadows Fall and Jaya the Cat. He was born in the United States, but is currently living in the Netherlands.- Biography :...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Additional performer
- Ray Michaud – keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
Production
- ProducedRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, engineeredAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, and mixedAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
by ZeussZeussChris "Zeuss" Harris is a record producer who specializes in metal and hardcore albums. He is based in Hadley, Massachusetts and he owns and operates Planet-Z recordings. Zeuss started his music career in metal bands, the best known being Doom Nation, before taking on music production full time... - MasteredAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
by Keith Chirgwin and Morgan Walker - Art direction, design, and layout by Tom Bejgrowicz
- A&R – Tom Bejgrowicz
- Photography by Jason Hellmann
2008 reissue
- RemixRemixA remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ed by Zeuss - RemasterRemasterRemaster is a word marketed mostly in the digital audio age, although the remastering process has existed since recording began...
ed by Alan Douches - Reissue coordinated by Steve Joh
- Photography by Jason Hellmann, Alex Solca, and Morgan Walker