Former Elektra Records executive Leigh Lust has announced that the band DOWNPOUR has been signed to PledgeMusic and will soon release a self-titled record. The band is made up Shadow’s Fall frontman Brian Fair and drummer Derek Kerswill, who also played with Unearth and Seemless. The band is rounded out by guitarist Matt LeBreton and bassist Pete Gelles.

Recording of the album started in pieces in 2015 but the band agreed to wait for the right time for the release. Kerswill explains, “We consciously sat on the record for the last few years due to a lot of scheduling issues and we had all talked about the idea that back then. Everything was about content, and we wanted the days of Soundgarden and Tool-style mystery.”

“When I was first approached by Derek about getting involved with the DOWNPOUR, ‪Shadows Fall was starting to come to an end and I wasn’t sure I was ready to start working with another band,” Fair admitted. “When he sent me the instrumental versions of the songs, I knew immediately that I had to get in! The combination of musicianship, unique songwriting style, and a groove that can’t be fucked with just absolutely blew my mind.”

Fair further explains, “This was not only music I had always wanted to hear —  it was music that I thought would allow me to push myself as a vocalist and try totally new things. I tracked some lo-fi, home studio demos and sent them off to the boys, having no idea if they would be feeling what I was laying down but I know I was!  Luckily, they got my vision and encouraged me to push it even further.”

“We wanted to make a unique metal record that represented our varied influences, unrestrained by sub- genre or any other restrictions,” Fair says. “The vocal lines and lyrics seemed to flow effortlessly. The riffs and grooves really inspired me to find some deep and personal subject matter that I had yet to explore lyrically. Before I knew it, we had enough material for the record and we hadn’t even all jammed in the same room yet!”

Fans can pre-order the album along with many different packages including digitally, autographed copies, vinyl, a signed and handwritten lyric sheet, a signed drumhead, a house party live performance anywhere in the United States, and the Nickel Bag of Funk which will require Fair to chop off a nickel bag-sized chunk of his insanely long dreadlocks. No person can argue Fair’s dedication to the project as he has not cut his hair since 1995.