Review of Fallujah - "The Flesh Prevails"
MID-MAJOR MAYHEM
By: Geoff Teach
About a year ago, San Francisco’s atmospheric death metallers, Fallujah, tantalized the masses with the three song E.P., “Nomadic” (Unique Leader Records), and a shockwave was felt all over the metal community. Rarely before had such “breautiful” (brutally beautiful) music ever been heard by your humble music critic, and I was not alone. “Nomadic” was meant as a whistle wetter, and it accomplished its mission with near overkill-like results, for, although only three tracks (and one of those being an ambient, meditative “filler” track with no instruments to speak of featured), “Nomadic” showed their exponentially growing fan base just what to expect from their next full length effort. Ladies and gentlemen, fans of Fallujah, and honored guests, allow me to be one of the first to tell you that all of your dreams are about to come true. Fallujah’s newest album, “The Flesh Prevails” (Unique Leader), due out July 22nd, 2014, is the finest achievement in the new subgenre of atmospheric death metal to date. It is a masterpiece, and it is the fulfillment of the promise laid down with “Nomadic”; and I advise the metal faithful of the world to brace themselves for an illustrious impact of supernova-like proportions, for when “The Flesh Prevails” hits the streets, those who are drawn into its event horizon will be hard-pressed to keep it from their lips for very long.
“The Flesh Prevails” is nine tracks of elegance, gracefulness, savagery, and ferocity...all rolled into one mesmerizing package. Starting softly to begin the opener, “Starlit Path”, Fallujah crafts a soundscape of airiness that builds slowly and steadily, until a gargantuan wave of punitive sound washes fully over you, like the breaking of a tsunami against the shore...and that’s just the first amazing track! Next, the Bay Area quintet wastes no time in assaulting your ears with “Carved in Stone”, which was pre-released to further put the outfit’s fan base into a frenzy. Feel free to press play and experience the melody and mayhem that is Fallujah’s “Carved in Stone”:
After “Carved in Stone” is done mashing your soul into jelly, though, Fallujah really begins to show off. “The Night Reveals” and the title track, “The Flesh Prevails” run consecutively into each other, with their hypnotic solos, ups and downs, and truthfully masterful compositions, it is at this point in the album where I have begun to realize just how much “The Flesh Prevails” has set my mind to “Stun” mode. And yet, as a drifting asteroid in the cold reaches of the Ort cloud can fall towards the sun and become a harbinger of death, the next track, “Levitation”, rains down fire and ash upon you with its blast beats, pummeling riffs, and relentless vocals. Finally, though, Fallujah relaxes and draws back a bit, and like a phoenix from the ashes, “Alone with You” rises up to the heavens with its beautiful female guest vocals and vaporous electronic sway, and then brings back their wailing, wicked tech metal with “Allure” (one of my favorites). Reaching the crescendo, Fallujah unleashes once more with the slamming “Sapphire”, and it’s melodious overtones spread across sheer barbarity is unparalleled in metal today. Have a listen for yourself:
To end this opus on a sour note would be a terrible shame, so the band simply didn't...instead, they saved the most stunning tracks for last. “Sapphire” is otherworldly, indeed, but the conclusory song, “Chemical Cave” is sheer genius. It’s dark and foreboding, but somehow also uplifting and freeing. It’s just brilliance, I truly have no other way to put it...I get chills listening to it. Fallujah has delivered, folks, do not doubt it in the slightest. “The Flesh Prevails” is prodigy and prowess to the umpteenth degree, and I cannot stress enough to all metal heads across the world to go and pre-order this omnibus of atmospheric death metal as fast as your bank account will let you.
Keep it metal, class dismissed!
To check out Fallujah on the web, just click the links below: