Long running New Wave of American Metal Act Shadows Fall have announced that their upcoming fall tours of Europe and a soon to be announced USA run of dates will be their last for the foreseeable future, and the band will “take a hiatus”. They begin a tour of Europe later this week with “Hell On Earth” trek, which also features Unearth, The Acacia Strain and War Of Ages, will begin in Frankfurt, Germany on August 29 and run until September 14.
The band has released a statement
“Touring full time in a band these days has never been more difficult financially. When you have to ensure the future comfort of your family, difficult decisions have to be made. Another reason is the fact that our lead guitarist (Jon Donais) is now in Anthrax, which makes it hard for us to do any extensive touring with our full lineup. Due to his obligations with Anthrax, he will not be able to join us on this European tour. Felipe Roa (Acaro) will once again fill Jon’s position and we are thankful to him for joining us on this run. Also returning for this tour is original bassist Paul Romanko, who has sat out from touring for the last two years to raise his son.
“This has been a real hard decision for all of us to make, but we feel at this time this is the right thing to do. We don’t hate each other, we’re not bitter, we, in fact, still have a really great time together, but the ride has slowed down and it’s time for the next chapters in our lives, whatever that may be.
“We can’t thank the fans that have supported Shadows Fall since the beginning enough. Without you, none of this would have been possible.
“For the past decade and a half, we have been able to create the music we have always wanted to hear and share it with music fans everywhere. That being said, you still may see us at a festival or two over the next few years… If they ask, we will come! In the meantime, please check out the dates for the last European go-around and we will see you out there!”
Shadows Fall came out of a burgeoning scene in Massachusetts playing a combination of thrash, hardcore, and melodic death metal influences coalescing into the form of American Metalcore. Although they shared many early shows with the likes of Unearth and Diecast locally, they moved on to become one of the most prominent bands of the NWOAM in the early 00’s along with Lamb of God, Killswitch Engage and Hatebreed. Albums such as The Art of Balance and The War Within are modern classics from the last decade.