Brian Fair

Brian James Fair (born May 30, 1975) is an American musician from Massachusetts, best known as lead vocalist of the metalcore band Shadows Fall.

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. He graduated from Milford High School in 1993, and went on to study literature at Boston University.

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-inch, 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. In 2008 they got back together to release Reborn to Kill Again.

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.

Shadows Fall decided to change its style to find its own sound. Inspired by 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.

In 2004 he and the band released their signature record The War Within which debuted at number 20 on the Billboard 200, and number 1 on the independent albums chart. He and the band also gained a Grammy nomination for their song “What Drives the Weak” in the Best Metal Performance at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards. Fair later reflected on this period in a 2024 interview stating “This record changed my entire life and took me around the world. We had been surprised by the success of The Art Of Balance and definitely felt a little pressure to take things to another level, but we did not allow that pressure to change our vision of the band we wanted to be.”

Fair continued with Shadows Fall as his main priority, and the band released several more records. On April 29, 2006, Overcast reunited to play at the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival. The band then announced and re-recorded archive material and two new tracks, produced by metal producer Nick Raskulinecz, under the name Reborn to Kill Again.

Shadows Fall's fifth record, Threads of Life, was released on April 3, 2007, through Atlantic Records and Roadrunner International. The album debuted at number 46 on the Billboard 200. The song “Redemption” garnered Fair and the band a second Grammy Award nomination for Best Metal Performance during The 50th Annual Grammy Awards. Fair stated "The song is a celebration of the power of music and the human voice as an agent of change and to have it recognized in such a way is incredible."