The terms ‘atmospheric’ and ‘death metal’ might not sound like they belong together to most people. Generally, when one pictures death metal, the mental image painted is one of rotting corpses, blood-splattered medical tools and ominous hellscapes filled with any number of demonic beasts ready to savagely pummel you into oblivion. Sonically we’re talking chainsaw guitars, unrelenting blast beats and guttural, glass-gargled vocals.
However, stretching right back to the early 90s there has been a sub-sect of death metal bands that have chosen to shift away from that gore-soaked iconography and sound into more progressive, epic territories. From genre forefathers Cynic and Atheist through to modern bands like The Contortionist and The Faceless, these acts have been able to skilfully meld the brutality and extremity of traditional death metal with soaring arpeggios, layers of synth and even *gasp* clean vocals, creating a more engaging and soulful sound in the process.
Since forming in 2007, San Francisco quintet Fallujah have been working their own sonic magic, and following a couple of EPs and a solid début album, in 2014 the band released what was regarded by many as a genre-defining record in ‘The Flesh Prevails’. That album opened many eyes and ears to the band’s dexterous blend of technical shred and spacey atmosphere, and left audiences wondering how that formula could be improved on. Fast forward two years and Fallujah have returned to show us all exactly how, with their stunning third full-length ‘Dreamless’.
Opening with an ambient yet commanding synth march that wouldn’t sound out of place in a John Carpenter movie, ‘Face Of Death’ soon evolves into a wall of Alex Hofmann’s impassioned bellows, sky-scraping guitar leads and kinetic drumming. Immediately it becomes clear that the musicianship on display is among the sharpest and most proficient in modern metal, with guitarists Brian James and Scott Carstairs bringing both technical flair and real feeling to their melodies and solos. The duo cook up a bevy of memorable riffs throughout, and whether shredding over Andrew Baird’s nimble blastbeats or settling into an almost djent-inspired groove, their playing is flawless without ever sounding robotic.
There’s an epic feeling to the entirety of ‘Dreamless’, Fallujah’s grasp of dynamics and atmosphere being almost unparalleled amongst their peers. There are quieter moments that add a welcome sense of serenity in between the chaos, though even when going full-tilt the band have an appealing, hopeful feeling that the vast majority of death metal acts lack. Where many aggressive acts opt for the most evil sounding riffs possible, Fallujah shine from the pack by resolving on major notes, and creating warm walls of sound that envelop the listener. There are moments that call to mind ‘bands’ like Cloudkicker and Chimp Spanner, both of whom have incredible mastery of creating riffs and leads that border on 80s style cheese, but always stay on the right side of good taste, a trait Fallujah share.
Throughout ‘Dreamless’ the band display their experimental side, from drum-and-bass inspired passages in ‘Wind For Wings’ to the full-blown haze of electronica of penultimate track ‘Les Silences’, via some beautiful guest vocals from Tori Letzler and Katie Thompson on a number of tracks, particularly in the haunting middle section of the album’s gargantuan final track ‘Lacuna’. That Fallujah are able to incorporate a number of styles of both instrumentation and vocals into their music without it ever sounding shoehorned in is testament to their skill as songwriters and performers alike.
On their third album, Fallujah have created a modern classic of technical, progressive death metal. When the pedal hits the floor the band are frightening in their speed and aggression, and outplay many bands whose only setting is ‘shredpocalypse’. When they ease off on the gas and let the atmospheric part of their signature sound bleed in, you’re rewarded with a weightless feeling, as though your soul has been plucked from your body and allowed to drift free into the cosmos.
JAMES LEE