Shadows Fall Frontman Speaks On Vegeterianism
Unmistakable with his trademark knee-length dreadlocks, SHADOWS FALL lead vocalist Brian Fair appears in a brand-new pro-vegetarian ad for peta2 — the world's largest youth animal rights organization. The tagline — a personal testimonial by Fair — reads, "I became a vegetarian many years ago after listening to THE SMITHS' 'Meat Is Murder'. It opened my eyes to the painful lives of animals raised for food, and I knew I wanted no part of that. I am Brian Fair, and I am a vegetarian."
The ad debuted in the December issue of Decibel magazine.
Fair kicked the meat habit when he was in eighth grade, and he credits his vegetarian uncle for teaching him about the health benefits of a vegetarian diet. He is often asked by fans why he stopped eating meat, and he explains to them that a commitment to positive social change is perfectly consistent with heavy metal. "It's such a myth that you would have to kill in order to live," says Fair. He wishes that more people would watch peta2's videos about factory farming and slaughter and make their own decisions. "If you aren't horrified, then you're a cold, lifeless human," he says.
Fans who can't get enough of Fair and SHADOWS FALL are in luck: Visitors to peta2.com can register to win a Guitar Hero II video game featuring "The Light That Blinds" from the band's "The War Within" album. The game will be signed by all the band's members.
Fair joins an ever-growing list of musicians — including LAMB OF GOD, Rob Zombie, Trent Reznor, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, RISE AGAINST, and Tommy Lee — who have teamed up with peta2 and stepped in front of the camera to inspire kids to challenge outdated, cruel attitudes about animals.
For more information, and to enter the contest, visit www.peta2.com.
Watch video footage of Brian Fair talking about being a vegetarian:
Source: Blabbermouth
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44 Comments on "Shadows Fall Frontman Speaks On Vegeterianism"
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Supporter
"If you aren't horrified, then you're a cold, lifeless human"
Maybe im not horrified because cows and chickens have no soul. They aren't important except for hamburgers and poultry. If you dont want to eat meat thats fine but dont call me a horrible person because I do.
Mixed feelings about this one.
Yes, you can live on natural growth alone, but dammit... we have canine teeth for a reason. That being said, I have no problem with anyone not wanting to eat dead animal flesh. More power to them if they're content with that decision in their lives. HOWEVER...... there are obvious benefits to eating meat. Can anyone tell me that one can get every single nutrient-thinger out of edible plants that one can get from a well-prepared steak, chicken breast or deep sea fish? Forgive my ignorance, I just know what my mouth likes to eat.
One may not have to kill (other warm-blooded animals) to live, but it sure as hell helps.
The biggest problem I have with what's reported here is that crack about watching some video and simply because one isn't horrified, one is automatically a "cold, lifeless human." Who in the 9 levels of hell is this guy to say what should and should not bother someone or turn them off from ingesting a certain type of sustinence? (forgive my spelling on that one.) It's that type of statement that makes him out to be a preachy bastard that has no business being listened to. I value human life. I value life in general. Hell, I try not to kill even the smallest of insects unless I feel threatened. I would rather take a hit for the team and be slightly crippled for the rest of my natural life than see my sister get hurt or worse. It's one thing to see some random person hit by a train or decapitated by a..... swinging chain in front of them. It's another thing to see animals die in order to sustain us and our desire to live.
rant rant rant, blah blah blah. In the end, stop testifying that your way of life is even a somewhat better choice. If it works for you, fine. To each their own.
My biggest issue with this type of vegetarian philosophy (I have nothing against those doing it for health reasons), is that there is an obvious line between humans and other animals (via intelligence, language, reasoning ability, etc). If you're going to erase that line saying animals have a right to life, how can you place it between animals and vegetation? Vegetation grows, lives, and reproduces in the same notion that animals and humans do. Animal suffering is wrong no arguments against that, but how can you say we as intelligent beings have a responsibility not to eat animals, but it's okay to eat other living things while other animals tear at themselves and other animals in far more painful ways.
Sorry for the complete rant. . .we're on animal's rights in philosophy.
I love Shadow's Fall so this was hard for me to listen to. As NON-Metal as it gets. One step away from telling people to plant a tree and hug their neighbor.
I saw them live and talked to Brian after the show. He's a cool a$$ dude. But let's just say here, agree to disagree.
I'm a chef and a hunter and fishermen and I'm trying to remember when... sorry got sidetracked there. But anyhow, vegetarian lifestyles aren't as healthy as everyone makes them out to be. If you don't know how to make a complete protein, your not getting all the nutrients you would be from eating meat. Thats why a lot of vegetarians have to take supplements. As far as animal cruelty goes, 2 in the head you know their dead. Responsible butchers don't like their animals to suffer because if killed under stress, meat undergoes a kind of rigor mortis that doesn't relax for a much longer time than meat that didn't see it coming. As far as the talk about factory slaughter goes, its easy to buy meat from places other than big factories and the meat is usually of higher quality and free of hormones.
And for the record, I like most vegetarian dishes when made right. And being a chef, it would be pretty counterproductive to not be able to accomodate vegetarians and vegans, whom you can make a lot of money off of because the most expensive product in most dishes is meat.
I think if your a vegetarian, hats off to you. If your that dedicated to a cause, and are willing to sacrifice the tastiness that is meat, major kudos. But telling me that I am "cold, lifeless human" for not being absolutely horrified by animals dying is not the way to win supporters. In that respect, I think most vegetarians are as bad as religious zealots who tell me I am going to hell. It is essentially the same thing, and your not going to win any supporters by telling them they are "cold and lifeless."
"If you aren't horrified, than your a cold, lifeless human", I've really got a problem with that statement. It proves that some vegetarians think they're some higher level than the rest of us because they don't eat meat. I wouldn't expect a remark like that from Brian either, somehow I thought the dude had more sense then that.
im brian fair and im a f***ing p***y grow sum nuts u queer id rather fight about our soldiers getting butchered than worried about a f***ing cow who really up to the point of actual butchering lives the life of a damn pet so go watch your brainwashing videos n eat your spinach b****!! and i just saw a shadows fall video on youtube, u talk about HORRIFYING!!!!!
Member
LOL "I became a vegetarian many years ago after listening to THE SMITHS' 'Meat Is Murder'. It opened my eyes to the painful lives of animals raised for food, and I knew I wanted no part of that. I am Brian Fair, and I am a vegetarian."
hilarious, nothing against vegitarians, just dont see the reason, its a freakin cow, its pain really doesnt mean a lot, there are more important things to be fighting for, especially in the world we live in right now.
Kicked his meat habit, while getting dreads and starting his drug habits
and by the way plants are life as well so it will never be a myth that you have to kill to live, because no matter what you are killing unless you could live off of only water.
Member
i think he's putting himself in the place of the cow's when in reality a cow doesnt even have the brain capacity to understand even what pain is, and so with ignorance and a small memory it's life is practically meaningless other than it's purpose in comparison to the rest of the worlds.
i hope this guy doesn't find out about the ruthless vegetable packing industry. ever been to a lettuce farm? they just mercilessly chop their heads off, put them in a sack, and them sell them to your local grocery store. it's madness i tell you! madness!
now playing: amon amarth - across the rainbow bridge
actually plants do have nerves...i think...been a while since i've had biology. but usually the fruits are meant to be taken by other species and eaten so when the digestion of the fruits is complete, the animal sh**s out the seeds and..........behold! a new plant is born!
i agree with FocusShift on this one. in the grand circle of life, you live, you die and you become food for another living organism along the way. humans are no better than any plant, animal or life form. it is in our basic instincts of survival that we must eat and therefor must kill to fullfill that need. if animals, and even plants (venus flytrap, etc) didn't kill eachother to feed themselves, life wouldn't exist because everything would starve and die. with the exception of the plants that make their own food.
with that said, some people are allergic to certain types of animal products and i can understand if they dont eat meat or whatever. but the ones that think that they're better than the rest of the world because they have convinced themselves that they aren't killing anything are full of sh**. everyday we kill something, be it an ant, a virus or a club-footed cow that won't stop moo-ing when you're trying to sleep at 4 a.m.
anyway, most of the vegetarians and vegans i know (infact all four of them) are avid slobs and don't care about the environment as none of them support the global warming scare or any of that sh**. which is interesting because i would think that those would be the first ones to hop aboard an issue as serious as life continuing.
now playing: iced earth - retribution through the ages
Member
i suppose you could say the size of the brain but even then a cow is still not much more significant in comparison to a human, if you think in terms of humility, consciousness, and/or the idea of a soul, if you believe we are all just programmed reactions then i suppose i can understand that sympathy.
Member
the only thing i dont understand is that if they actually view animals as equals then why do they not view this as a holocaust like situtation, and do something about it, or maybe they simply dont think about it that deeply, but it seems that they are just sympathizing for animals.
besides, nearly all of the killing you do in your life (back the virus, bacteria, other pathogen and even over-aged and mutated cells point) is done with no conscience control. it is truly kill or be killed. and the human system is designed to kill all threats.
Member
very true, so the reason why i feel literally no guilt for that is the difference between a living organism who is almost purely a reaction to it's environment which something like a virus arguably proves, and as you approach something like a human which as a consciousness, or as the english language calls a soul, something that makes us have a different answer to the same question, because we arent just programmed DNA but we are something more.
although in the defense of vegetarians the way the kill cows is pretty unnecessary and i would still change it anyways
Writer/Reviewer
First off: Total respect for vegans and vegetarians. Thats a tough and noble road to take...but as I type this I'm eating the most meaty sandwhich PennStation has.
I get pangs of guilt from eating meat sometimes, particularly ham, as pigs are intellectually on the same level as dogs.
I keep my meat eating light to moderate. 3-5 servings a week. Thats more out of respect for my collon than animals.
Now Playing: Tool - "Disgustipated".....Most on topic Now Playing--EVER.
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But all meat is so very tasty.... so tasty