Music Review: Planetary Duality, The Faceless
Technical death metal to some may seem like an oxymoron, but to The Faceless, it’s a monicker they’ve been given and they have produced their second release with this sound called Planetary Duality. Planetary Duality starts with “Prison Born” which is an interesting display of sharp licks and bruising bass lines set behind this maniacal demonic roar that’s hardly understandable. “The Ancient Covenant” showed us simlar progression with the artistic renderings of a full symphony darting out through harmonic lead and rhythm guitars with tribal drum breaks and rumbling bass grooves creating this ethereal presence; yet the lyrics detract from this excellent visualization coming from the instrumentations.
“Shape Shifters” which is a short; yet sweet collaboration of searing and scintillating keyboards with hues of twinkling violin rapture you into a fantasy world with the light tinges of guitar as it introduces us to “Coldly Calculated Design” which hauntingly bludgeoned your ears with the monstrous snarls creeping underneath blackened double-bass assaults and excellently arranged shreds from the guitars as you can tell they have some slight influence from Scandinavian black metal and melodic death. “Sons Of Belial” is much better vocally as you can tell what the story’s about and get a defined interpretation instead of distorted ramblings as it’s engulfed by more of that incredible rhythm section’s masterful work compelling you to be grasped into suspension as they weave either a Pagan or Satanic tapestry of sounds.
The Faceless ends this nine song disc with an interesting version on the title track with “Planetary Duality I: Hidious Revelation” and “Planetary Duality II: A Prophecy’s Fruition.” “Planetary Duality I: Hidious Revelation” uses spoken word banter from someone who’s delusionally speaking about extraterrestrial beings covered up by the federal government as a dirge of slick frettings and drowning bass lunges at you with a chilling mood as if you were listening to a science fiction masterpiece. “Planetary Duality II: A Prophecy’s Fruition” returned to their formula of brutal metallic rage combined with spacey hooks attacking the senses. The Faceless at first didn’t seem to surprise us, but as we grew into the track listing you’ll discover something quite fascinating from Planetary Duality.
Comments
Technical Death-Metal, an oxymoron? Thats a pretty stupid thing to say.
You're stupid as hell if you think technical death-metal is an oxymoron. Get your head out of your ass, faggot.
Awesome album - XenoChrist is friggin awesome
This review sucks. It just rambles. It has no structure nor does it really give me an idea how good it is.
why cant people just listen to the fucking cd without disecting it. its an amazing cd in my opinion. u cant just tell someone how a cd is(let them tell themselves), everyone hears the music differently thats why some people dont like metal and thats why alot alot of metalheads dont like mainstream music its a super constrast. just listen and enjoy or listen and dislike.
How rude of some people to bash a review and it's reviewer on his own site. I know Metal as a genre is brutal, but come on guys. Show some fucking courtesy. Save your angst for the pit.
The review is well written with great metaphoric representations and it seems to capture a vibe within itself similar to the albums vibe as a total.
One thing I noticed is the sound clip they play of the gent talking about Area 51. I believe it's the same clip that Tool used on their Aenima album. It's freaky shit.
The lyrics on Coldly Calculated Design are completely mind altering.
10 star album, from me.
whoa i think you're right about that area 51 thing!!!
It was Faaip De Oaid on Lateralus.
This cd is the best metal album of 2008. BTBAM's "Colors" took '07, this takes '08, no contest.
The reptilians are coming for all of us!
Technical death metal IS an oxymoron because REAL death metal is technical, as fuck.
Idiots.
Also, this CD is fucking amazing, check it out if you haven't, it's streaming on their myspace at the moment.
oxymoron: noun; conjoining contradictory terms (as in 'deafening silence')
By your definition "technical death metal" would be redundant not contradictory. Get off the internet and read a book!
"This album made me orgasm." thats all the reviewer honestly needed to say.
oh my god. this cd was amazing!!!!
it was way better than akeldama
just not as catchy as akeldama
but beter non the less
I completely agree.
This fucking album is so good it makes me want to cut face off and fry it with some butter and garlic.
It also makes me want to put some guys head through a car door window.
Lawlzzzzz!!!!!!!
I dunno if this album makes me want to do that now but....it does make me wanna get movin, very energetic closing song and especially the intro to sons of belial...very epic like!
I wish you had written a longer review. The CD definitely ruled, hard!
This band is completely awesome.
I really hate the fact that Xenochrist is about virgin mary carrying christ in her womb.
refering to Christ as a "parasitic seed".
AS a christian it just really bothers me.
The end.
I will probably get flamed for being a Christian. Oh well. Fuck you
Everyones entitled to their own opinion ya know, but it does bother me as well...very mean in my opinion to call our savior a parasitic seed...but..we are in america (free speech)..just listen to the music like I do and forget the lyrics!
in my interpretation, xenochrist was about the antichrist. i dunno tho. it just seemed that way in my mind because it is interpretted so evil. usually when death metal bands (from what i have read in lyrics) put Jesus down, not make him seem evil. even job for a cowboy makes the antichrist seem evil.
Xeno- means denoting a different species, greek root meaning 'stranger'.
Xenochrist is distinct from Anti-Christ.
Interpret it per the terminology they use. Use a dictionary.
Like many metal bands, it seems that The Faceless do not support organized religion or any establishment, due to corruption within, due to the fact that the reality they observe is proven by science, and/or many other reasons.
Read the lyrics off Akeldama which show their support of science of religion: for example, 'immortality is achieved through decomposition' ie. no spiritual afterlife, instead only science.
Their lyrics are meant to encourage religious people such as yourselves to open your effing eyes and see what actually is going on in the world around you by looking at the evidence. The evidence is in support of science and sociology: destruction of morality/humanity, civilization, and nature is occurring; the evidence is also that religion has been the cause of genocide, war, plague (upon American natives via smallpox blankets), inequality (slavery after religious wars), social destruction by means of unnecessary judgment of others and feelings of righteousness (in today's society), and other forms of destruction. The lyrics of Xenochrist sum those truths up. If you are in denial of the historical facts then you are living proof that their lyrics are a true depiction of reality.
TRANSCEND THE ILLUSION, PEOPLE.
Justin, the only flame your gonna get is saying your a Christian then saying "F" you. Not very Christ like. Wake up brother.
This cd is alright. I think they should've wrote at least one other full song see as there is so much filler on this album. And to the dumbass that thinks this is the album of the year. Wrong. Listen to burst's lazurus bird. That is the best album of 08 hands down.
That or Origin's album.
Faceless got ripped by veil of maya and born of osiris then the faceless started ripping off them.
It starts with the "ramblings" of Maynard James Keenan from Tool, as the song is by Tool, and is off their Lateralus album. It's the last song called Faaip de Oiad. I'm not saying it's a bad thing The Faceless used that, just felt that some people might like to know that ;D
I do think this album is fucking amazing, though. Best album I've heard all year, and if you don't think so well you can go fuck yourself because this is MY opinion, not yours :]
that is a real clip from the Art Bell radio program from someone that claimed to be a former employ of Area 51, NOT from Tool.
This is the link to the original radio program excerpt.
http://www.metatech.org/Art%20Bell%20Area%2051%20Call.mp3
indeed.
and thanks for that, ive been trying to find out what tool song it was and its been bothering me.
o, i saw them with Cynic and Meshugga,
EPIC...
I dont care what anyone thinks, this album is the best all around album i have ever bought.
You most likely have one piss poor collection of albums.
technical death metal an oxymoron... go home and die.
Good album, but not as catchy as Akeldama.
the autopsy i still one of my favorite songs of all time, but fukin legion of the serpent and xenochrist dude... anyways, whats better:
Horizons of Chaos or Planetary Duality? or are they even comparable? im curious to see ppls opinion
btw they melt faces live, hence the faceless. saw them at slims sf w/meshugga n cynic, jolly good show, met the bassist and the black guy too.
did that dude just say that technical/death metal is an oxymoron? whats the fuck does that even mean?
what...as opposed to technical/bubble gum pop? have someone that actually KNOWS what metal is review this album.
ok, Architect1011, sure i think that you have the perfect right to be cut at calling christ a parasitic being.
BUT i also think your a dumbarse.
"just listen to the music like I do and forget the lyrics!"
the lyrics are a PART OF THE MUSIC
screw your saviour. he is dead anyway
oh look at me. im being a fucking loser and joining into this internet bullshit
ARGGHH IM GOING CRAZY
sorry guys.
i dont care is the main point.
okay, so, i never really comment on things like this but......
all of you motherfuckers need to chill the fuck out. everyones entitled to there own opinions and if you feel differently, big fuckin deal. i listen to just about everything excluding country and most rap but i still love this shit. metal fuckin owns in every way possible. in my "OPINION", metal is thee greatest genre of music along with classical. reason being is that you 'feel' the music. it makes you dream while your awake.
great album btw.
Truthism, look it up.
Some intense shit.
Great fucking cd though, tells the truth, maybe? ;)
god is not real
this guy liked it in the ass