Review Summary: Very groovy and technical, these guys deliver.
The Faceless is a band that has been in the metal scene for quite some time. Being the birth child of Sumerian Records, these guys had a lot to show for not only representing their name, but the record label as well. To call this band “deathcore” would be an insult because they bring a lot to the table as far as technicality and overall execution of what parts are implemented into songs. Nothing that these guys have produced has been a disappointment and should honestly get more credit than what they are given. During their career, they have released one EP and three LP(s). Today we are going to be examining the band’s debut release under Sumerian Records titled “Akeldama” (Aramaic for “Field of Blood”).
“Akeldama” is a very interesting album that provides the listener with a very “Off the Wall” experience of “deathcore”. In hind sight of what other bands were producing during this time, The Faceless decided to take an Avant Garde approach when working on this album. This album implements unique execution of riffing and breakdowns along with diverse time signatures to make each song exciting to listen to. This album combines “deathcore” sound along with jazz and orchestral elements to really give variety to each song. Listening to this album, I personally thought that some elements (such as the “VOCODER”) are reminiscent of bands such as Cynic, but I didn’t let that thought hinder my listening experience. Michael Keene (Guitar, vocals) did a remarkable job producing this album. He is also famous for helping produce for other Sumerian artists such as Born of Osiris and Veil of Maya.
Musical aspects of the album are solid and very well executed in every song. The vocals (Derek Rydquist) are very brutal and aren’t overpowering. There are also some parts with clean vocals (Michael Keene) that are in songs like “Pestilence” that are very surprising and out of the ordinary when you expected to hear screaming for the entirety of the album. Comparing to how other bands use bass in songs, I was expecting for bass (Brandon Giffin) to take a back seat in this case, but surprisingly bass is very prominent and groovy; There are also some solo parts that give a nice texture to some songs like “All Dark Graves”. The drums (Nick Pierce) to some might be generic “blasting”, but being a drummer myself I take into account how good the technique and progression of drums blended in with the music and I have to say it wasn’t disappointing in the slightest. Last but not least we have guitars (Michael Keene, Steve Jones), who did an absolutely phenomenal job on this album. Both provide very slick groovy rhythm to every song and metaphorically “Takes the Wheel” of this album, they bite pretty well. As far as other musical aspects there are synth and other piano parts that are included. Some say that the synth ruined some parts but in my opinion, the composition isn’t too over the top or in your face, it blends pretty well actually.
All in all, “Akeldama” is a very solid album that never gets boring to listen to. This album has 8 songs and clocks in at 33:18 which isn’t too long or too short. Some of my favorite songs I would recommend would be “Horizons of Chaos I & II”, “Leica” and the title track “Akeldama” which is a great addition to the album considering it is an instrumental piece. If you are a metal fan who wants to explore something different, this album would definitely be one worth a listen.
The Faceless are:
Derek Rydquist — lead vocals
Michael Keene — lead guitar, clean vocals, spoken word, vocoder speech
Steve Jones — rhythm guitar
Brandon Giffin — bass guitar
Michael Sherer — keyboards
Nick Pierce — drums
