Fallujah: The Flesh Prevails

There's been quite a bit of gushing, at least on other websites, about this album. I think that most of the praise is warranted even though I'm not personally convinced that this album is the groundbreaking, epoch-making, work some listeners make it out to be. Fallujah is a very strong band and this album is a reminder of their massive talent as a band. During my last couple of times through it, I've focused mostly on the guitars. There are some superb, even beautiful, guitar passages on this album. I was especially impressed with the melodic passages on the title track. I haven't heard such soulful guitar playing on a death metal album like this in a very long time. But that's what makes Fallujah such a key band right now; the guys seem to approach each song with an eye to creating a musical effect that reaches far beyond pounding our faces into the pavement. You know what I mean. There's no bravado here, only a desire to play a group of songs just right.

The music on this album plays especially to the convincing power of death metal blended with musical atmospherics. Some will likely find this connection odd, but there is something natural about the connection between the aggressive forces of death metal and the more patient, slower, sounds of atmospheric music. Why is that? I'm not sure I can put my finger on the reason, but when I hear music like this, I generally like it very much. In some ways, I think I'm more drawn to the atmospheric parts of the music. I love death metal, but Fallujah makes me wonder what else can be done with this kind of music.

This album works best when it blends the various sounds and styles the most. I should say "balances" instead of "blends." At times, the music focuses too much on the mellower sides of things, losing itself—slightly—in the melodic moodiness swirling about the margins. I doubt there's a perfect formula for getting this balance right; the members of Fallujah will no doubt strike their own and, with hope, they'll continue to experiment, explore, and discover. For now, check out the last two-thirds of this album, starting at around track 4. This is a terrific album.

The cover art on this album is also pretty great. The visual metaphor of the struggle between the flesh and the spirit is quite clear, as is the overall majesty of what it means to be human.

See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!

Track Listing:
1. Starlit Path
2. Carved from Stone
3. The Night Reveals
4. The Flesh Prevails
5. Levitation
6. Alone with You
7. Allure
8. Sapphire
9. Chemical Cave

Added: August 29th 2014
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 1965
Language: english

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