Before the so-called "New Wave of American Heavy Metal" was even a ripple, Shadows Fall were there. Emerging from Springfield, MA in 1995, this D.I.Y. band ultimately found legions of fans, worldwide fame, two Grammy nominations, and even a song on Guitar Hero. Of course, none of this came from luck. Instead, hard work and musical innovation have been the forces propelling Shadows Fall, continually revealing ever more of this band's greatness. They are beyond simply best-in-class; in so many ways, Shadows Fall – with their unmistakable, seamless blend of metal and hard rock - have grown to help define the very essence of modern aggressive music. With Retribution – the band's fifth full length and follow-up to 2007's critically acclaimed Threads of Life – it's no surprise to find Shadows Fall once again taking bold steps in their quest for constant evolution. It starts, of course, with the guts of Retribution – the sound. "With each album we've gotten a little more confidence to really let all of our influences show," says vocalist Brian Fair. "We're unapologetic about the old-school metal and the 80s influence, as well as the thrash and the melodic death metal." And Retribution – with music production by Zeuss and vocal production by Elvis Baskette - surely has that thrash-metal bedrock which has long served as the foundation of Shadows Fall – but there's more. "We've really taken some songs all the way," explains Fair. "The brutal parts are a complete, non-stop assault, and the rock-influenced songs go all the way within that rock direction. A song like 'Picture Perfect' - the chorus is more Journey or Def Leppard than it is death metal," laughs Fair. "There's really no holding back when it comes to our songwriting. Once the floodgates open, we go all the way." The result is Retribution - a collection of songs that showcase the versatility and vision of this band that only seems to get better over time. But the evolution of Shadows Fall is not limited to their music. Atop the shifting grounds of an unpredictable music industry, they've found even more opportunity to try new ideas. "We learned everything from the ground up," says Fair, reflecting on more than a decade of experience and lessons learned. "We've gone through the independent metal world to the major label world, and have come to realize that, given the way things are now, it's all about the band re-taking the control of everything: music, business, ownership, publishing. Everything."

Bottom heavy open chords that resonate strong enough to shake the core of the earth. Skyrocketing bursts of oscillating guitar leads layer an ominous and dark undercurrent of rhythm. While hardcore punk may be the sound that rules the day in The Contortionist hometown of Indianapolis, it is the band's signature brand of forward thinking heavy metal that has made them stick out as hometown favorites. The band worked hard to amass a following beyond Indiana though consistent regional shows, coastal touring, and two self-released EPs. They clearly began to define their sound and grow as musicians on their EP titled "Apparition".

The songwriting and progression on "Apparition" smacks of a group of musicians who are locked deeply into a remarkable place of expression and creativity that is usually reserved for bands with multiple albums under their belt. While it is not uncommon lately for bands in the world of metal to experiment with melody and progression, many times these breaks from the brutal end up sounding forced, too contrived, or way too over the top in shred. What could have been an opportunity for the listener to settle into some depth, winds up missing the mark. When The Contortionist venture into the realm of ambiance it actually raises the level of the song above the crushing breakdowns and demands the listener stay put for the ride. More impressive than their ability to write and record such material, is how big it all plays live. The room seems to expand and fill with spacious tones just in time to be leveled with ferocity. The band is razor sharp while nailing every bit of nuance their ambitious songwriting offers. It is this ability to dole out their sounds in epic proportions through a live performance that piqued the interest of record label Good Fight Music. The band had already distinguished themselves to Good Fight with a penchant for creating a distinct style of heavy music that has plenty of room for the listener to breathe and settle into. So in early 2010, shortly after the staff had caught them live, a deal had become imminent.

Sometimes a band reaches a point of slamming into a wall, falling very ungracefully, and never getting back up. In the case of Continent of Ash, this is a very opposite, and uncommon thing. Through all difficulties, come great things. With line up changes, musical clashes, lack of communication, and very rare occasions of physical puncture, Continent of Ash still pursue the love and evolvement of music.
Spawning from The Air Capital, Wichita, KS., Continent of Ash hit the music scene in mid 2001 under the name CHOKE, later becoming ANOTHER WORD. The intentions of the band was to make music that flowed, grooved, and was sometimes thought to be one of the heaviest melodic bands on the scene. Through this course the band had to do some constructive repairs; meaning, "let's fire some people so we can get the right equation", no offense to those affected. These things are just bumps in the road, but can never stop the machine. In 2003, the band released their first disc "Cleansing the Great Unwashed…", which was a combination of material recorded over a year and a half period.
Traveling is an important part of this group, because it's all about getting the music out there in people's hands. The group has played shows in NYC, Colorado, Oklahoma, Indiana, Kansas City, St. Louis, Ohio, and countless shows in Kansas.
In 2004 the band changed their name to Continent of Ash due to the 100 and something bands that start with "Another", that and the music has changed so much that it was almost impossible to believe that it was still Another Word. Recently the band has hooked up with the Jagermeister sponsorship program. Their new self titled disc will be released on July 9th, 2004. It is truly time for the unleashing of things to come.