Brian Fair

Brian Fair
at SoundWave Sydney
Background information
Birth name	Brian James Fair
Born	(1975-05-30) May 30, 1975 (age 41)
Origin	Boston, Massachusetts United States
Genres	Thrash metal, melodic death metal, melodic metalcore, metalcore, Heavy metal
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	vocals, guitar, drums, bass
Years active	1991–present
Associated acts	Shadows Fall, Overcast, Death Ray Vision, Transient

Brian Fair (born May 30, 1975) is an American musician from Massachusetts, best known as lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Shadows Fall. He graduated from Milford High School in 1993 and went on to study literature at Boston University.

From a young age, Brian Fair had always been known for his affinity for a wide range of music. In seventh grade he had his first visit to a recording studio after he and two friends won a radio jingle contest (sponsored by Mass Electric) with a Beastie Boys-inspired tune "The Energy Conservation Rap Song." In high school, he played bass and sang in a punk band called Frenzy that performed at local underage shows. In the summer of his sophomore year (August, 1991), Fair co-founded Overcast, an influential hardcore band in the Worcester music scene. While Fair was on vocals, Scott McCooe and Pete Cortese played guitar, Mike D'Antonio played bass, and Jay Fitzgerald played drums. Overcast's first 7", Bleed Into One, was released in 1992 through Exchange Records. The band's first full-length, Expectational Dilution, was released in 1994 and is considered a groundbreaking effort as many claim that Overcast are the pioneers of the metalcore scene. Their final full-length, Fight Ambition To Kill, was released in 1997. This release was followed by nationwide touring with Shai Hulud and Disembodied. Overcast eventually split up in November 1998.

Soon after Overcast disbanded Fair joined Shadows Fall in place of Phil Labonte who left due to creative differences. Soon after the band signed to Century Media Records. The band recorded its second studio album Of One Blood with Fair on vocals in 2000, the release included re-recorded songs from Somber Eyes to the Sky.

Due to repeated comparisons with Gothenburg melodic death metal bands, Shadows Fall decided to change its style to find its own sound. Inspired by more thrash, hard rock and power ballad influences, the band recorded its third studio album, titled The Art of Balance. Released on September 17, 2002, the album peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Top Independent albums chart. Shadows Fall released three music videos to promote the album; "Thoughts Without Words", "Destroyer of Senses", and "The Idiot Box". The Art of Balance featured a cover of the Pink Floyd song "Welcome to the Machine". Andy Hinds of Allmusic stated the album is "a modern heavy metal album that is both brutal and highly musical, traditional yet forward-thinking", but criticized the placement of "Welcome to the Machine", stating the song "is stylishly well-executed, but seems a tad out of place nonetheless." Shadows Fall supported The Art of Balance by touring on Ozzfest in 2003.