The pounding machine-gun drums, the endless growling, the unintelligible lyrics. Some death metal bands go for one sound and stick with it album after album.

But The Art of Balance is one album that hits hard and knows when to let go. As most bands on Century Media go, a lot of the groups have a similar sound, from goth to death in the metal genre.

But this album definitely gives us a mix of songs worthy of being blasted at over 100 decibels.

The guitar work is awesome with some fun solos that are fast enough to stay fresh. And drummer Jason Bittner must have calves of steel to get away with some of the craziest bass drum rolls I have heard in awhile.

This is not your normal death metal album (finally). Shadows Fall begins with an assault on "Idle Hands," then slows it down a little bit for "Destroyer of Senses," and then finishes off with a slow-burning song that slowly fizzles out at the end.

The album as a whole is good but could have ended on a stronger note. The group is not afraid to show its softer side either, although it just comes off as cheap arena rock.

This album is definitely for fans of Arch Enemy and In Flames. No matter what, if you like it loud, hard and fast, check these guys out.