Shadowmaker

This is the title track of Shadowmaker, Apocalyptica's eighth album. It was the band's first LP recorded with a single vocalist, former Scars on Broadway guitarist Franky Perez.

So what is a 'Shadowmaker?' Apocalyptica songwriter and producer Eicca Toppinen explained to Artist Direct: "It can be many, many things. For me, I look at it as something from your personal life. Everyone knows a Shadowmaker - someone who brings negativity to your life and takes down creativity and positivity." "In a more global term, it can be the people who are ruling this world," Toppinen continued. "They're the faceless people who are writing policies and influencing terrorism, wars or running corporations. Their existence has a negative effect on us-I would call them the 'Shadowmakers.'" "Even in the record industry, you can have people that influence your creativity or dictate the direction the band must go in," he added. "This time we were totally independent from a record label and influences outside of the band because we had Franky on board. In one way this is our fight against 'Shadowmakers.' We made the record exactly like we wanted to."