Massachusetts metallers SHADOWS FALL will embark on their final European tour in less than a week. The "Hell On Earth" trek, which also features UNEARTH, THE ACACIA STRAIN and WAR OF AGES, will begin in Frankfurt, Germany on August 29 and run until September 14.

SHADOWS FALL has been touring non-stop for over a decade and has decided that it's time to "take a hiatus" from future extensive touring.

In addition to this upcoming European run, SHADOWS FALL is planning a final North American tour and will possibly visit a few other territories some time over the next year.

There are many factors that are behind this difficult decision that the band has been dealing with for some time now. In a nutshell, it comes down to families, member availability, and finances. Further impacting the band's decision is the fact that they have two members with young children. Plain and simple, they want to be with their families to watch their kids grow.

Says SHADOWS FALL in a statement: "Touring full time in a band these days has never been more difficult financially. When you have to ensure the future comfort of your family, difficult decisions have to be made. Another reason is the fact that our lead guitarist (Jon Donais) is now in ANTHRAX, which makes it hard for us to do any extensive touring with our full lineup. Due to his obligations with ANTHRAX, he will not be able to join us on this European tour. Felipe Roa will once again fill Jon's position and we are thankful to him for joining us on this run. Also returning for this tour is original bassist Paul Romanko, who has sat out from touring for the last two years to raise his son.