To me, Fallujah is one of the first acts I think of as a leader within modern progressive death metal. The band’s distinctive, pristine sound and Scott Carstair’s singular approach to lead guitar give the band an identity that they have balanced staying true to while continuing to progress over five records. On their last record, 2022’s Empyrean, I was impressed by the vocal talents of new addition Kyle Schaefer, who brought a varied, melodic approach to a band that had previously mostly relied on harsh vocals. A substantially groovier rhythmic foundation complemented this approach. Now, three years later on Xenotaph, the group expands their sonic palette evermore with the new addition of guitarist Sam Mooradian, and an increasingly confident Schaefer exploring new vocal expressions throughout the album.
A floating, drifting dance of delay-soaked guitars and piano begins the album’s opener, “In Stars We Drown”. At just over 3 minutes, the track moves from its pensive, clean introduction and Schaefer’s layered singing to the atmospheric, technical, and melodic death metal we have come to expect from Fallujah over their career. Even though it is a comparatively short piece, the opener is a microcosm of what the record ahead contains – a continued evolution into more melodic and atmospheric territory than we have heard from Fallujah in the past, without sacrificing the signature sound they have developed over their past five records.
The first single, “Kaleidoscopic Waves”, carries that momentum forward with some chordal choices that lightly evoke the riffage of Mark Holcomb (Periphery). The track features clean breaks, soaring harmony leads, and a clean bridge in the latter half of the song that feels both hooky and futuristic (speaking of hooks, check out the clean vocals later on the record’s fourth track, “The Crystalline Veil”). The pristine, punchy production from Dave Otero (Archspire, Inferi, Shadow of Intent, Khemmis, Aborted) furthers this futuristic quality, as does Schaefer’s synth contributions (you can watch a breakdown of how he approaches synths here).
One thing that I enjoyed about Fallujah’s last release (and first with vocalist Kyle Schaefer) was its more groove-oriented sound and nods to Meshuggah. Xenotaph seems decidedly less influenced by that group and the subgenres it has spawned. However, a song like “Labyrinth of Stone” slows the tempo for some more groovy moments, and Schaffer further explores his vocal range, occasionally bearing semblance to The Faceless’s Michael Keene. We also get to hear a solo from Sam Mooradian, who recently joined Fallujah alongside founding guitarist Scott Carstairs.
The final single, “Step Through The Portal and Breathe”, has one of the more memorable introductory riffs on the record before evolving into an expectedly complex and rapid verse. However, its closing third explores the stratosphere with ambient synths and minimalist guitars, undergirded by a restrained yet complex drum performance. “A Parasitic Dream” wanders further into the ether, with some heavily processed vocals from Schaffer. “Obsidian Architect” opens with some of these spacier moments but quickly develops a brooding, brutal feel that is only furthered on the album’s final track.
Just short of eight minutes, the title track closes out Xenotaph with some relentless drums and technical riffs that make for one of the darker, more epic moments on the album. The lead guitars here are more angular than usual as well, contributing to the frenetic nature of the track. Even the quieter sections of this epic complement the track’s tone, adding a reflective and somber quality that is emphasized by the track’s anthemic fade and Schaefer’s layered, choral vocals singing a wordless yet emotional refrain.
With Xenotaph, Fallujah maintains their core sonic identity that led them to become a death metal forum favourite. However, they are not retreading the same ground constantly. Schaefer demonstrates an ever-expanding vocal range, and the band has more than enough ability to match his dynamic performances through a range of alternatingly heavy and gentle, spacious arrangements. Considering the ambitious trajectory Fallujah has been on through Empyrean and Xenotaph, I am incredibly excited to hear where the group takes their sound next, which is perhaps rare to say about a band six albums into their career.
