Author: Primož Novak
Artist: Fallujah
Label: Unique Leader Records
Release: year_month
Length: 41:32
Rating: 4.5/5
These days it’s tough to get noticed if you’re an extreme band trying to stand out in the flood of groups out there. There’s no shortage of technical death metal acts, but Fallujah managed to win over a few backers already with their debut The Harvest Wombs, since bands that mix technical death metal with black metal aren’t exactly an everyday thing. The first album was just a solid springboard that earned the band a bit of attention. Three years after the debut, Fallujah are back with a slightly changed lineup, but seriously leveled up too.
The Flesh Prevails is undoubtedly a step forward. The songs are more polished, and the atmosphere, driven by unusual hypnotic melodies, occasional female vocals and clean, undistorted interludes, is more convincing. There’s a lot less black metal this time around, but there are still plenty of technical death metal riffs, which mellow out into atmospheric melodic ones. On top of all the chaotic riffs and melodies there’s also a good amount of virtuoso soloing, which is almost a must in extreme metal these days. The guitars are front and center, but the other instruments aren’t neglected. The drumming is dynamic, fast and tight. The bass guitar gets a few moments of its own too, adding yet another dimension. Only the vocals are a bit monotonous, relying on just one growl.
The songs themselves are pretty unpredictable, and it feels like Fallujah really played around with structures that are full of surprises and interesting twists. Good examples are the tracks The Flesh Prevails and Sapphire. The Flesh Prevails is a demanding piece of work that takes plenty of listens, which shows the album wasn’t rushed out like so many records today.
For the production, the band teamed up with Zack Ohren, who has already worked with many of today’s extreme metal acts. It might all sound a bit too polished, since with a more »dirty« sound the band might have reached yet another level. With The Flesh Prevails, Fallujah have taken such a step that they’re now even harder to pin down to a (sub)genre. It’s undoubtedly extremism marked by technicality, chaos, powerful atmosphere, unconventionality and progressiveness.
Lineup
Alex Hofmann – vocals
Scott Carstairs – guitar
Brian James- guitar
Robert Morey – bass
Andrew Baird – drums
Production
Zack Ohren
Tracklist
1. Starlit Path
2. Carved From Stone
3. The Night Reveals
4. The Flesh Prevails
5. Levitation
6. Alone With You
7. Allure
8. Sapphire
9. Chemical Cave
