So the band set up its own label and, through a partnership with Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group and Ferret Music, put together the new Retribution. It's certainly a worthy addition to the Shadows Fall discography, but it doesn't break any new ground, and it doesn't have quite the oomph that Threads had. Even the big development of Threads itself � a power ballad � doesn't make a showing here. One can't help but wonder if Shadows Fall would take more chances in a world where Threads got the respect it deserved.

The record begins with a classical guitar instrumental that fades into a series of metal tracks � it's the same trick from The War Within (and, heck, Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets), but it's well-done nonetheless. The first of said metal tracks, "My Demise," gets the album off to a good start, though some of the transitions are a little abrupt.

From there, it's vintage Shadows Fall: muscular guitar riffs, Brian Fair's trademark brand of half-singing/half-yelling vocals, ridiculously tight and intricate drumming, and frantic (some would say senseless) solos. "King of Nothing" is the best track here, with one of the most intense and pummeling outros in metal history. Other highlights include the vocal harmonies and heavily processed guitars in "The Taste of Fear," the driving intensity of "Picture Perfect," and the haunting acoustic work, furious riffing, and epic chorus on "Dead and Gone."

By and large, this is little more than an average collection of Shadows Fall tracks, but to be fair, the lyrics are an exception: They're a bit more personal than what we're used to hearing from these guys. When singer Brian Fair belts out lines like "This is the price you pay / For throwing your whole life away," there's a directness and down-to-earth nature about it that one rarely finds in metal. Even in the aforementioned rage-fest, "King of Nothing," the words that make the song come from the heart and are directed at another human being: "Quit your f***ing crying." This isn't to say the band has made a 180-degree turn ("Welcome to the apocalypse," goes one chorus), but it's nice to see a metal band grow lyrically without losing its edge. ::coughLoadcough::

Unlike Threads of Life and even The War Within, Retribution is not a necessary buy for metalheads unfamiliar with the band. But for the many people who already consider themselves Shadows Fall fans, the band delivers 45 minutes of the sound they've spent all these years perfecting.