There are (at least) two ways to ascertain if metal is going to be technically inspired: the cover or the song titles.

In fact, with an album entitled At The Foothills Of Deliration, maybe it was obvious all along.

Faceless Burial cluster bombs the senses while also challenging everyone’s vocabulary (or lack thereof) in the form of their third full-length, via Dark Descent Records and Me Saco un Ojo Records. The trio from Australia showcases a propensity for diverse musical arrangements and dictionary-challenging nomenclature.

 

Seriously, what the hell is a haruspex, and how does one experience a vaticination?

In any event, the death metal outfit consisting of Alex Macfarlane (bass, vocals, synthesizer), Max Kohane (drums) and Füj (guitars) penned a record that’s as adventurous as it is punishing: Kohane especially attacks his kit with an air of knowledge, understanding and hatred.

 

On ‘Equipoise Recast,’ he’s active, adept, acrobatic. That, alongside the husk grunts and belches plus straight-to-the-point guitar work, makes for a cacophonous mass of noise. Kohane doesn’t stop there, because ‘Dehiscent’ exudes brutality in the form of a fight-or-flight response by a cornered leopard. ‘A Mire Of Penitence’ is volatile, and Füj’s dense riffing and strumming provokes Kohane into forceful blast beats reminiscent of the artillery barrages that crashed into Mount Suribachi.

 

Five of the six tracks spell death and destruction, while the quasi-title track instead opts for a warm blanket of content and satiation achieved through a simmering aura.

At The Foothills… signs off with a bang. ‘Redivivus Through Vaticination’ acts as a release of negative energy, featuring Macfarlane’s animalistic grumblings. Not to mention a riff that’s akin to a road that’s needed repaving for decades.

 

Faceless Burial didn’t produce a technical death metal record, per se. But their technical adeptness and penchant for seemingly stripping down every song to a single note to ensure fluidity paid off handsomely. And the attention-grabbing song titles further diversify the three-piece’s output.

 

Buy the album here: https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/at-the-foothills-of-deliration

 

8 / 10

MATT COOK