Lead singer/shouter
Brian Fair
declared
Fallout from the War
"a companion to
The War Within
" -- the band's breakout full-length from 2004 -- but it could very well be a way for the
Century Media
label to get one more taste of the departing band's success as they move on to the
Warner
-associated
Atlantic
. Regardless, this is a exciting and pleasingly loose collection of leftovers from the last album, B-sides, and old tracks re-recorded, along with a couple covers including a surprisingly fun take on
Dangerous Toys
'
"Teasn', Pleasn'"
with
the Toys
' own
Jason McMaster
guesting and taking this normally
Metallica
- or
Pantera
-sounding outfit into early
Van Halen
territory. More in line with their proper albums, mammoth and tight dual-guitar thrashers with
Fair
roaring on top are in abundance.
"Will to Rebuild,"
"December,"
and the fantastic
"Deadworld"
are right there with the band's best, and if it weren't for the casual flow of the album, this wouldn't seem like an odds-and-ends release at all. Actually, it's a great informal introduction to the ferocious and melodic witches' brew
Shadows Fall
always seems to nail. ~ David Jeffries