The Faceless - Planetary Duality (2008)

Genre: Technical Death Metal

Release Date: November 11, 2008

1. Prison Born (1:59)

2. The Ancient Covenant (4:02)

3. Shapeshifters (0:44)

4. Coldly Calculated Design (3:41)

5. XenoChrist (5:01)

6. Sons of Belial (4:46)

7. Legion of the Serpent (4:27)

8. Planetary Duality I: Hideous Revelation (1:34)

9. Planetary Duality II: A Prophcies Fruition (5:28)

In 2013, The Faceless underwent a serious makeover in terms of membership.  In less than a year, the well-renowned technical death metal act from Encino, CA has seen the departure of more than half its' bandmates who were present on Planetary Duality.  Derek Rydquist (vocals), Steve Jones (guitar), and founding member Brandon Giffin (bass) have all made their exit from The Faceless, leaving only Michael Keene (guitar) and Lyle Cooper (drums) as the only remaining members from the album which is the subject of this review.

Planetary Duality is, in my opinion, the band's best album.  It is more refined than their debut release, Akeldama (2006), and more focused than their most recent release Autotheism (2012).

Legion of the Serpent

Every musician in this band is extremely talented and their vocalist has one of the most abrasive (in a good way) voices in death metal.  The guitar playing is incredibly fluid and smooth.  Every note is clearly articulated whether the playing style is legato, sweep picking, or economy/alternate picking.  The drums are an impressive collection of blast beats and other stylistic arrangements that are common in modern death metal.  Even the bass playing stands out impressively (see the intro to "The Ancient Covenant", while many other bands have bass as only a footnote or backdrop.

If you're looking to get into technical death metal, this is a fantastic album to start with.  It's nuanced, refined, energetic, eery, and in-your-face.  I stumbled upon this album several years ago and I still listen to it on a regular basis.

The Ancient Covenant

I think it's unlikely The Faceless will have a lineup that surpasses (or even matches) the core group they had when they recorded Planetary Duality.  Nonetheless, this band still has a bright future and remains one of the best bands in all of technical death metal.  If your ears haven't had the pleasure of being exposed The Faceless before, do them a favor and blast this masterpiece in your speakers.

Final Rating 10/10

MASTERPIECE

3 Favorite Songs from the Album: The Ancient Covenant, Sons of Belial, Planetary Duality II