Review Summary: The most misunderstood Fallujah album
Undying Light is just as post-metal as it is technical death metal. Fallujah has always been an ambient, atmospheric band, but this takes things to a whole nother level. Upon hearing tracks Last Light, Ultraviolet, one will of course notice the change in vocalist from prior release, Dreamless. That record had a very guttural vocal style, rarely utilizing high pitch shrieks, (in fact, I dont recall there ever being high pitched shrieks at all) it was essentially reliant totally on the guttural vocal. On Undying Light the dynamics are reversed, there is all shrieks and no gutturals. I can of course see how many have an issue in this decision. I too had an issue with it for a very long time, but I have slowly come around on it.
This record simultaneously feels hypnotic while also feeling ferocious and vital. Tracks have a nice variation of which some tracks comprising more urgency than others. Sanctuary opens up with a very technical death metal type of riffing, quite similar to the bands previous work, certainly one of the most familiar sounding Fallujah tracks of the bunch here. The track then transitions into a chorus that's very catchy, with the ambient lead guitar soaring in the background, very gratifying and full sounding. Scott Carstairs guitar playing is just as immaculate as ever, his articulation is one of a kind, and no other guitarist sounds like him in modern metal.
Just like a post-metal record, Undying Light sticks to a certain mood throughout the majority of its runtime, rarely straying from this ideology. A heavy, ferocious, brooding sound, constantly doubling down riff after riff of sludgy, dirgey atmospheric sound. I like to have this play all the way through start to finish, with every passing track while familiar; has enough nuance to differentiate from other tracks on the album. Whether that being slight change in song structure, a chorus coming a bit later than normal, or a verse extending longer than normal, it all adds to the experience for me. I am never taken out of hypnotic trance that this record takes me on, and a lot of it is to do with how consistently Fallujah manage to keep things interesting while with not a large pallet to work with.
I now see the light and Undying Light is quite the spectacular record. It's so easy for me to get lost in this, and I have done so for the past few weeks. This is the most misunderstood Fallujah record absolutely, with even I naysaying it upon its initial release. I now appreciate this record for showing a different side of Fallujah; a slow, grimy methodical Fallujah. Hopefully more will come around on this record in the coming years, though it seems unlikely right now. I implore to give this another relisten if you didnt initially connect with it, it may surprise you.
