It's been over a 4
year wait for Technical Death Metallers The Faceless to release their
much awaited third album 'Autotheism' and what they've delivered is something
you would not expect.
Hailing from
California, The Faceless are signed to Sumerian Records and are probably
the most out of place band on the roster. Bands such as Asking Alexandria,
Periphery and Born Of Osiris who have all seen success and it's safe
to say won't be struggling anytime soon. The Faceless however have gone
through line-up changes (a dozen past members) and haven't really stayed with
the one particular sound since their debut album 'Akeldama.' This album could
be what gives them a break, because what we have here is an album that really
is a pleasure to listen to. One thing that is probably the biggest change of
all on here is that usage of clean vocals, there are a lot. That's definitely
not a bad thing, because Michael Keene (the only original member left) delivers
some incredible Devin Townsend sounding vocals. As the founder of The
Faceless, Michael Keene seems to have taken control and made a lot of
changes, all which seem for the better. He plays lead guitar and he plays it
well, shredding it with the best and throwing in a neat little solo every now
and again. He's clean vocals are one of the standout things on 'Autotheism' and
are very much welcomed. Geoffrey Ficco, who does the heavy vocals also does a
great job also and it's a wonderful counter to Keene with just the perfect
amount of each style and it really compliments the sound you get. One little
thing which would have been nice is if Evan Brewer (Bass) got to shine a bit
more on here, after his solo effort 'Alone' which was very well received.
The album opens with
piano and orchestral elements leading to a build-up, Keene shows us his
Opeth/Devin Townsend influenced vocals and it sounds great. 'I AM GOD' gets
stuck in your head and from then on the rest of the album is an entire journey
into the changing and progression of this awesome band. With lots of catchy
chorus lines and memorable lyrics which will have you singing and repeating
them in your head. My personal favourite song 'Emancipate' which is the second
track begins with the technicality and fastness that fans of The Faceless
have all grown to love. As the songs moves on you start to hear some of the
changes and it all just makes sense. Devin Townsend could easily be mistaken as
being a guest vocalist on here, which is a great compliment to Michael Keene.
Another minor negative is the track 'Hail Science' which is a short spoken word
monologue that features a robotic Stephen Hawking type voice. It's unnecessary
and out of place to be honest, but it's only 50 seconds so I guess it isn't a
huge deal, I feel it would have benefited as an intro rather than being placed
awkwardly 3/4 into the album. 'Autotheism' does feel a little rushed towards
the end and falls just a bit short for my liking, I feel it could have been
maybe 10 minutes longer. The quality and production however do make up for
these little faults which I've picked on and the positive elements definitely
outweigh the negative.
What we have here is
an experimental album from The Faceless that will either pay off or
people will forget it and go back to their previous work. There's a bit of
everything on here for Death Metal fans and the standout tracks are nothing
short of amazing. There are a couple of very forgettable moments that give the
album a bit of a lower rating, which is unfortunate because it has the
potential to be an Album Of The Year contender. Some people would have expected
a great deal after waiting so long for something new from The Faceless, and
it captures all those things that fans love about the band. For some it might
not live up to their expectations, but for someone like me I am very happy that
they have gone down this path and created a brilliant album.
Standout tracks: In
Solitude, Emancipate, Accelerated Evolution.
8/10
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