Empyrean is the fifth album from progressive/technical death metallers Fallujah. After the polarising reaction for previous album Undying Light, Fallujah have retreated back to the sound that gained them critical acclaim though it is definitely not a step back for Fallujah as it sees the band perfecting their prog/tech death sound to new heights. Empyrean sees some shifts in the Fallujah camp with the album being the debut for new vocalist Kyle Schaefer (of Archeologist) and new bass player Evan Brewer (ex-The Faceless).
Aniimalia - Pressure Points (Marshall Records) [David Karpel]
Kyle’s vocals are a fierce sounding growl which has great clarity and doesn’t really drop into low gutturals and he also has a nice understated clean vocal style which is used to great effect. Evan is a fantastic bass player and his stamp can be heard all throughout the songs on the album where his talent is pushed to the fore. On the songwriting front the classic Fallujah sound is well and truly back with complex tech death brilliance mixed with a progressive approach to songwriting with a fair use of melody and some almost dreamy sounding passages.
The opening song The Bitter Taste Of Clarity is a statement of intent from the band with a dreamy ambient opening giving way to a thunder of guitars and blast-beats and proving to be one of the heaviest songs the band has committed to tape. Into The Eventide is another highlight with a more atmospheric and relaxed feel and some fantastic guest clean vocals from Katie Thompson (of Chiasma). Radiant Ascension manages to be furious, melodic and catchy in equal measure whilst Celestial Resonance shows off the bands musical chops to the fullest.
The album closes with another belter in Artifacts which contains all the core elements of a great Fallujah song in breathtaking style. The remaining founding members of the band - guitarist Scott Carstairs and drummer Andrew Baird - put in stunning performances with some spectacular guitar playing from Scott and furious and tasteful drumming from Andrew. Fallujah have fully redeemed themselves after the disappointment of the last album and Empyrean feels like the album that should have followed Dreamless. This is an album that should definitely appease their fan base as well as being a brilliant album that the band should be rightly proud of. Fans of technical death metal and progressive metal can do no wrong in giving this a listen. 8/10
Sigh – Shiki (Peaceville Records) [David G]
If there has been a word to describe Sigh’s output it would probably be theatrical, and whilst I can’t say that has always worked it has always been interesting. With Shiki Mirai Kawashima’s fear of ageing and death is explored and naturally that sense of the theatrical has a pivotal role. What makes this release feel more fleshed out than other albums in the band’s catalogue is rather the fraught emotion that arises in particularly challenging and unnerving moments has a sense of authenticity. That fear really translates, as does anxiety, and anger.
Following the introductory throat-singing, Kuroi Kage is a fascinating opener, beginning with a sinister warped note, and lethargically stuttering into a dull loop. Then comes the pregnant synth pause before the riff slams back in with Mirai’s hysterical rasp. Eerie and uneasy, a recurring theme. Naturally it is hardly surprising that this finally gives way to the kind of rock influenced guitar lead one would expect from the more melodic side of this band. Then obviously blastbeats. And jazzy saxophone. And soft, airy singing. It sounds scattershot, something you could possibly have accused Sigh of in the past, but instead there’s a cohesion here, a flow that makes these transitions quite believable. Shoujahitsumetsu reminds us of the band’s origins in primitive black metal, all howls and snare (and a really sick punk-styled bass run).
Of course, it’s not long before things become more speed metal tinged with a glorious sweeping solo to boot. I’m only two tracks into explaining this and I feel quietly impressed at the way this hangs together. So yes, the theatrical again; there is melodrama however it feels like there’s a greater sense of emotional authenticity at play. There’s a definite emotional thrust in these early stages with a track like Shikabane, that becomes increasingly tense and anxiety-ridden as it lurches along, to a point where it almost falls to its knees pleading. Satsui – Geshi No Ato leans more into the theatre but reminds just how vocally diverse this troupe gets, from one part that sounds like someone furiously spitting venomous dialogue with themselves in the mirror, to a few lungs full of chanting that create an expansive feel.
There’s something in the application of the voice in a Sigh song that feels exciting. Partly that is down to the willingness to try different things, but more than that is the feeling that there is a depth into which the vocals take hold in the structure and dynamics; they can push the song along, they can lift it from the depths into a state of calm, they create a container that encompasses. The richness of texture applied here goes even beyond their past efforts. Naturally twists and turns keep coming, Shouko probably sounding the closest to a cut somewhere between Gallows Gallery and Hangman’s Hymn that has the precision and aggression, but also gives us the organ flourish and a wonderfully melodious lead (accompanied by brilliant bass drum spikes as it closes out).
Check out Fuyu Ga Kuru if you’re hoping for a wonderful Maiden-esque riff that on its reprise is backed by bongos, and then you get more bongos in a four-car collision with the saxophone, synth and what I can only describe as throat-singing-lite. Doomy struggling chord progressions leading into a flute section? Mayonaka No Kaii will do that, and more besides. I find it exciting that Sigh have reached this point, and that’s not to detract from previous albums as they all have significant qualities and quality.
This is the first time I have sunk myself into one of their albums and I feel myself living with it in the moment. I don’t think it is wild to suggest that the music we hold dear is about the experience, be that the experience in our life when we encounter it, or the experience it gives us. From that perspective it would be remiss of me not to say that this album and its theme is timely in a couple of ways, it becomes harder then to separate the personal from the music in that space even with the language barrier. But trying to take it on its own merit, and shelve “my stuff”, I still think it is fucking brilliant. 10/10
Minus Ten Thousand Hours - Could Be Worse (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]
What was the first thing I thought when I listened to Dublin alt rockers Minus Ten Thousand Hours' EP? Well it was Norn Irish legend Therapy? There's that same feeling of nasty riffs meets sweet choruses taken from punk and metal influences to make some muscular alt rock. The trio themselves describe their sound as "trying (unsuccessfully) to mash the entire Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 soundtrack into one band" they straddle numerous genre styles, Wicked having a bit of swampy banjo against the twisting bassline and rowdy riffs.
What was the first thing I thought when I listened to Dublin alt rockers Minus Ten Thousand Hours' EP? Well it was Norn Irish legend Therapy? There's that same feeling of nasty riffs meets sweet choruses taken from punk and metal influences to make some muscular alt rock. The trio themselves describe their sound as "trying (unsuccessfully) to mash the entire Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 soundtrack into one band" they straddle numerous genre styles, Wicked having a bit of swampy banjo against the twisting bassline and rowdy riffs.
The main comparisons I'd make are a punkier Therapy? a heavier Foo Fighters, or really just Them Crooked Vultures , the latter heard mostly on Was That Mean? but mostly their music will get your head nodding with its big hooks, designed to make you throw yourself about, from the QOTSA-like Fad Haircut to the swaggering To The Zoo. Could Be Worse is not just a title but an entire ethos, a glance into the inner workings of an anxious mind, it helps to just let loose with some riffs and shouting occasionally. 7/10
Aniimalia - Pressure Points (Marshall Records) [David Karpel]
There’s something about metalcore that sounds like it's stuck in seventh grade, like it wants to be treated like an adult but also be able to act like the child it no longer is. So, maybe it’s just me, I don’t know, but when I see that descriptor I’m not enthused. There’s an audience for it, though, so let’s get on with a listen. Aliens starts us off with exactly what you’d expect. Some promise of headbanging transitions to a few verses of clean vocals building to a catchy chorus that pays off the promise in the most unsurprising way possible.
Still, while Aniimalia can crush a groove with technical precision and all the emotive power of a tween’s cloying crush, Kira Beckett can sing well and even wail and carry a catchy chorus. Her vocals are super clean in the mix and they are the saving grace of the EP as a whole. Essentially this is a collection of pop songs with some typical open chord chugga chugga breakdowns and some average drumming. Honestly could not be less excited about a release, but if bubble gum metalcore is the taste you want to chew for a while before spitting one out for another, this might be your next piece. 5/10
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