Formed in the mid-1990s, the Massachusetts band Shadows Fall honed its signature blend of Swedish-style melodic heavy metal and gritty hardcore riffing over a series of well-received albums and constant touring. Shrewd personnel changes incorporated the former Overcast vocalist Brian Fair and the drummer Jason Bittner, who lent the band a new melodic feel and a more cohesive sound. It released one of its strongest sets, THE ART OF BALANCE, which included a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Welcome to the Machine,” in 2002.