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

Psycroptic - The Inherited Repression (2012)

Genre: Technical Death Metal

Release Date: February 7, 2012

1. Carriers of the Plague (6:07)

2. Forward to Submission (3:56)

3. Euphorinasia (4:54)

4. The Throne of Kings (4:04)

5. Unmasking the Traitors (3:55)

6. Become the Cult (4:11)

7. From Scribe to Ashes (3:50)

8. Deprivation (5:44)

9. The Sleepers Have Awoken (4:08)

Wow.  Psycroptic have outdone themselves once again.  Coming off their latest release, Ob(Servant) (2008), I found it difficult to conceive that this Australian tech-death quartet would release an album even better than that excellent record.  Much to my delight, I was mistaken.  Psycroptic has crafted another masterpiece.

The Inherited Repression marks the fifth full length release for Psycroptic, and in my opinion, it's their best album to date.  This is not something I'm putting lightly.  I consider Ob(Servant) among my all-time favorite albums and it's a masterpiece in its' own right.  I've spent the last two weeks alternately listening to both those records so I could figure out which one I thought was better.  The Inherited Repression wins by a hair.

One of the things I love most about technical death metal is that the genre keeps getting pushed to new extremes each and every year.  A large factor in determining this trend is the fact that the musicians who started the genre are all getting better at playing their respective instruments as time goes by.  In addition, many of these bands (Psycroptic among them) are developing a more mature sound with each new release.  On the whole, this is the most mature-sounding album Psycroptic has recorded.

Carriers of the Plague

One aspect of this album that makes it stand out from other technical death metal releases is the flow of the music.  The songs aren't just a collection of notes and complex riffs thrown together in order (many other technical acts are guilty of this type of song construction).  The drums and guitar really groove and weave together well, making each track feel more organic than contrived.

I don't want to downplay the technicality of this release, though, because the songs on here are very intricate.  Joe Haley effortlessly blends chord progressions with elaborate fills that connect his riffs together.  His legato playing style is, in my opinion, developed to its highest level yet on The Inherited Repression.

Unmasking the Traitors

This song really gives the listener a good example of Joe Haley's signature legato guitar style.

Dave Haley's drumwork is also superb and his skills are put on display well here.  What separates his playing from that of many other drummers in the genre is his variety and flow.  Haley doesn't constantly lay down blast beats and ridiculously fast double bass play (although these aspects are present at times, as they should be on a death metal record).  He alternates between a mixture of different styles instead of just blasting his kit as fast as humanly possible.  Interesting cymbal work, alternately slow and fast-paced beats, and varied tom fills can all be found throughout the record.  "From Scribe to Ashes" is a good example that highlights Dave Haley's variations:

From Scribe to Ashes

The bass is not very prominent on this record, but in the end, this doesn't detract from the quality of the release.  Cameron Grant's bass work provides a solid backdrop to some heavy and groovy riffs but isn't featured as much as some other technical death metal acts, like The Faceless or Anata.

The vocals on this record are interesting in that they bear little resemblance to Psycroptic's earlier works, such as The Isle of Disenchantment (2001) and Symbols of Failure (2006).  They aren't classic death metal vocals, but are a closer kin of modern thrash metal records.  In any case, Jason Peppiatt makes it work and delivers a great vocal performance on The Inherited Repression.

In conclusion, Psycroptic has proven their worth yet again as one of the most interesting technical death metal bands in the world.  I predict this album will be one of the best death metal records to drop in 2012 and it will certainly be blasting through my speakers for months to come.  You owe it to yourself to listen to The Inherited Repression.  What are you waiting for?!

Final Rating: 10/10

MASTERPIECE

3 Favorite Songs from the Album: Carriers of the Plague, Unmasking the Traitors, Deprivation

Honorable Mention: Every other song on the album...

Vale of Pnath - The Prodigal Empire (2011)

Genre: Technical Death Metal/Melodic Death Metal

Release Date: August 9, 2011

1. Legacy of Loss (5:27)

2. Mental Crucifixion (5:27)

3. Brain Butchers (4:42)

4. The Prodigal Empire (3:11)

5. Borne Extinction (5:43)

6. Poisoned by Prosperity (2:33)

7. Time of Reckoning (3:56)

8. Sightless (4:36)

9. Cerulean Eclipse (6:00)

I first heard about this band (via Allegaeon’s Facebook page) on the day this record was released.  Anytime I hear about a new or “up and coming” technical death metal band I get very excited.  Technical prowess is one of the biggest reasons I am drawn to death metal, and let me tell you, Vale of Pnath has no shortness of technical instrumentation in their compositions.  

The Prodigal Empire is the first full length album by the Denver technical melodic death metal outfit.  For those who have heard their 2009 EP, this record builds on the sound they created on that release and takes it to a whole new level.

Mental Crucifixion

(really cool riff around 4:49)

This is the best album I’ve had the pleasure of listening to so far this year.  It has everything that one could want in a technical death metal record: intricate guitar work, melodic elements, a brutal drum attack, heavy bass to complement the mix, and a solid interchange between black and death metal vocals.  Oh, and with lyrics inspired by the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie Total Recall, what’s not to love?

"Start the reactor"

In my opinion, the pinnacle of the album is the last three tracks that close out The Prodigal Empire.  “Time of Reckoning” begins with a marching guitar riff that continues without pause alongside the backbeat of the drums and bass.  Eventually, towards the middle/end of the song, melody begins to cut through the mix.  The last half of this song is truly beautiful and any fan of melodic death metal should love it.

“Sightless” is the most brutal of the last three tracks.  I won’t even ramble on about it here.  Just go listen to it for yourself (link below, of course).

Time of Recknoning

Sightless

Every so often I listen to the final song on a record and think to myself: “that was the best song they could have written to end this album”.  “Cerulean Eclipse” is a perfect conclusion to The Prodigal Empire.  It is an excellent representation of all the best elements of the album – especially in terms of technicality and melody.  The riff that cuts in at roughly 35 seconds into the track is my favorite guitar part on the whole album.  Everything that follows thereafter is mind-blowing as well.  I dare you not to like this song.

Cerulean Eclipse

I strongly recommend The Prodigal Empire to any fan of death metal music (particularly those who like technical or melodic death metal).  It is an absolutely brilliant record that has been in my regular listening rotation for weeks (and will probably remain there for many weeks to come).  Vale of Pnath represents one of the brightest spots in American death metal today and I am excited to see what they’ll bring to the table in the future.  Hopefully, they’ll go on tour soon and play their awesome brand of death metal all over the country.  GO CHECK THEM OUT NOW!!

Final Rating: 10/10 

MASTERPIECE

3 Favorite Songs from the Album: Mental Crucifixion, Time of Reckoning, Cerulean Eclipse

Anata - The Infernal Depths of Hatred (1998)

Genre: Technical Death Metal

Release Date: October 4, 1998

1. Released When You're Dead (4:22)

2. Let the Heavens Hate (3:49)

3. Under Azure Skies (5:39)

4. Vast Lands/Infernal Gates (5:07)

5. Slain Upon His Altar (4:39)

6. Those Who Lick the Wounds of Christ (6:48)

7. Dethrone the Hypocrites (6:04)

8. Aim Not at the Kingdom High (5:46)

Many people like to stereotype metalheads as mindless, unintelligent Satan worshippers who are lucky if they have enough brains to acquire a high school degree.  Having a PhD in their midst (bassist Henrik Drake has a PhD in geology), Anata certainly smashes this common misconception, proving once again that metal is more often than not an intelligent musical style.  Technical death metal is particularly demanding and requires extreme proficiency in playing your instrument as well as having a background in music theory and song structure.  Anata passes all the litmus tests that define a great metal band – precision, talent, brutality, melody, etc.

Hailing from Varberg, Sweden, Anata was formed in 1993.  The band initially experimented on their songs by mixing a variety of different styles of heavy metal.  Following two demos and some lineup changes, Anata got signed to a French label and recorded their first album soon afterward.  By the time of the release of this album, The Infernal Depths of Hatred (1998), Anata had already developed their signature style of technical death metal.  The influence of Swedish melodic death metal is easy to detect in Anata’s music.  Their melody often sets them apart from many of the Canadian acts that dominate the genre of technical death metal.  This can easily been seen on their first album.

The Infernal Depths of Hatred is an absolutely brilliant album.  The songs seamlessly alternate between heavy brutal riffing and melodic passages throughout the entire album, creating a symphony of chaos that still maintains tight control musically.  This release is most satisfying if listened to from start to finish in its entirety.  It really feels as though it was written with the intention of being listened to in this fashion.  Each song perfectly complements all the other tracks on the album, creating a unifying sound.

“Released When You’re Dead” opens up the album with a bludgeoning assault of death metal.  See the link below:

Released When You're Dead

This album is epic and captures the sound and themes of desperation.  This is perhaps best heard on the song “Slain Upon His Altar”.  The song starts with a melodic bass intro that quickly gives way to an aggressive guitar melody that reminds me of something from At the Gates or Paths of Possession.  This song really paints the picture that is indicated by the title of the track, and I really think it encapsulates all the themes of the album both lyrically and musically.

In particular, the last four songs of the album sound like they could be combined into a single epic super-song (though I really think all the songs on Infernal Depths are inseparable and complement each other brilliantly).  That is how unifying their overall sound is.  Each track flows directly into the next one through the end of the album.  “Aim Not at the Kingdom High” is the best song Anata could have ended the release with.  It’s a perfect combination and representation of all the styles employed on this record.

Aim Not at the Kingdom High

While The Infernal Depths of Hatred is not as refined as their latest release, The Conductor’s Departure (2007), it is certainly a masterpiece and is among the best technical death metal albums I’ve listened to yet.  It captures a certain raw feeling that isn’t quite as present in Anata’s later records.  I highly recommend this album to anyone who is a lover of death metal and wants to hear a standout band from this impressive genre.

Final Rating: 10/10 

MASTERPIECE

3 Favorite Songs from the Album: Released When You're Dead, Slain Upon His Altar, Those Who Lick the Wounds of Christ

*Author’s Note: This review was originally posted on another blog I had called Fucking Death Metal.  I’ve decided to repost some of my reviews from that blog on this one, with minor revisions.