01. Autotheist Movement I: Create 02. Autotheist Movement II: Emancipate 03. Autotheist Movement III: Deconsecrate 04. Accelerated Evolution 05. The Eidolon Reality 06. Ten Billion Years 07. Hail Science 08. Hymn Of Sanity 09. In Solitude
The Faceless have come a long way already over a career that hasn't even spanned them a decade, proving with each release their ever-evolving skill and maturation as composers. First there was 2006's Akeldama, a release that most everyone would regard as their worst due to its *gasp!* deathcorish elements. Then came 2008, and the band stepped up their game with Planetary Duality, moving further away from their deathcore roots and into some more promising tech death territory. That album brought hope for them to push the new sound even further, and now with 2012's Autotheism, those hopes have been met, the band even further transcending the foolish scene kid wanderings of their past in the process.
Many people criticize Autotheism as being a departure from The Faceless's previous direction, hoping that the progression from Akeldama to Planetary Duality would yield a third album even heavier and more technical than its predecessors. Autotheism is certainly in a much different vein from the band's previous efforts, being more progressive than technical, but it represents their creative and musical height, drawing on multiple influences to form what seems to be the true sound of The Faceless.
You stop disrespecting Roy Khan like that, you hear me?
if u listen to autotheist movement III: Deconserate from 02:40, i think the song passage is very similar to how roy khan sings, no disrespect to neither singers...
if u listen to autotheist movement III: Deconserate from 02:40, i think the song passage is very similar to how roy khan sings, no disrespect to neither singers...
I was joking. I just think that while the passage may sound similar, Khan is a way better singer than Keene could ever hope to be. Honestly the clean vocals are really my only complaint about this album. They seem to lack life to me. But yeah, I was only kidding around.
This will keep happening more and more often as time passes by and more and more bands keep forming and the ones already formed keep releasing new records. If you think about it, it's not too hard that two different bands in the world write the same or similar riff.
When I wrote the first song for my new band, two months later or so I checked out a Pain Of Salvation song that I had never heard before and there was a really similar riff and I noticed it instantly. And no, I'm not going to change my song for that, I would if I noticed I had heard the song before and I was "unconsciously" ripping it off.
This will keep happening more and more often as time passes by and more and more bands keep forming and the ones already formed keep releasing new records. If you think about it, it's not too hard that two different bands in the world write the same or similar riff.
When I wrote the first song for my new band, two months later or so I checked out a Pain Of Salvation song that I had never heard before and there was a really similar riff and I noticed it instantly. And no, I'm not going to change my song for that, I would if I noticed I had heard the song before and I was "unconsciously" ripping it off.
It happens. The thing a lot of people don't realize is that its not all about the riffs. Having a solid harmonic basis is essential I think, but its also largely about how you put ideas together with drums, vocals, guitar tone, in accordance to song buildup, ect. TF's new record is one of the most original sounding albums I've heard in a while, even though you can tell it was inspired a lot by Devin Townsend, Opeth, and a mix of a lot of new metal lately. Even though there are a few riffs in their that sound similar, the album comes off as undeniably different than those bands. Notice the production, songwriting, wide range of instrument tones, vocal variety, and diverse amount of influences. It ranges from sounding like The Faceless's brand of tech death, to Opeth, Devin, and Mr Bungle mainly. Yet when listening to the whole album, these influences all sound organic and fit together well.
I don't mean to sound pretentious here, but riffs are a pretty juvenile way of looking at things I think. Sure it sounds great in typical death/black/thrash metal, but you can't create strong dynamics with a bunch of typical guitar riffs. Metal itself is a pretty constant style of music, meaning that it doesn't change much. Its usually a brutal assault that lasts a whole song. My point in saying this paragraph is that its sort of pathetic when people get overly critical of similar riffs/riff stealing, when riffs themselves are just sort of blocks that you could use to form a composition of a row of blocks. The real interesting things come, imo, when compositions include a well thought out arrangement of these blocks, with different transitions between them, and harmonies/counterpoint ideas on top of these riffs which obscure the riff into something more spread out/built up.
If this album has less interludes, I might enjoy it... Because maybe I'm the only one who thinks so but 3 tracks under 2 minutes long (and if I recall correctly) with no vocals on an only 8 track album seems kind of lazy. It might be different if the rest of the songs were 7 - 8 minutes but.. They're not.
Well.....is there anyone think some riff in this release makes you think of the background music of Rockman X (Or you call...Megaman X)....:D
Next, good for The Faceless to have this special shot of try and put so many creativity inside their new album, not only brutal and harsh guitar solo to demonstrate how skillful the guitarist can be.
In my opinion, if their is no death vocal, this album can be another taste of masterpiece. Sometimes I think death vocal in this album is superfluous..
Anyone else think the clean vocals on this album sound extremely like Devin Townsend? I got pissed off while listening because I thought that Devin had "collaborated" with another metal band and thus ruined another album for me (I'm mostly referring to his work with Ihsahn and, yes, I've grown to strongly dislike Townsend's music).
In short, the clean vocals ruined what could have been a great album.
Anyone else think the clean vocals on this album sound extremely like Devin Townsend? I got pissed off while listening because I thought that Devin had "collaborated" with another metal band and thus ruined another album for me (I'm mostly referring to his work with Ihsahn and, yes, I've grown to strongly dislike Townsend's music).
In short, the clean vocals ruined what could have been a great album.
So you are saying Ihsahn's latest album was completely ruined since Devin sings a couple of seconds in just one song?
Either way, I can understand you don't like Devin's music, but sounds a bit childish to hate everything he participates in. And more with such minimal collaborations as in Eremita.
Anyone else think the clean vocals on this album sound extremely like Devin Townsend? I got pissed off while listening because I thought that Devin had "collaborated" with another metal band and thus ruined another album for me (I'm mostly referring to his work with Ihsahn and, yes, I've grown to strongly dislike Townsend's music).
In short, the clean vocals ruined what could have been a great album.
So you are saying Ihsahn's latest album was completely ruined since Devin sings a couple of seconds in just one song?
Either way, I can understand you don't like Devin's music, but sounds a bit childish to hate everything he participates in. And more with such minimal collaborations as in Eremita.
No, I'm saying Townsend ruined it FOR ME. I'm not claiming it as fact, some people liked it. (And to clarify, one song alone did not ruin the entire album, but it contributed to an entire album that just wasn't to my taste). I never said I hate Devin Townsend, I said strongly dislike. I used to like him, but I've lost all interest in him in recent albums, partly due to the vocals he's been using. Why you think strongly disliking an artist is 'childish', is beyond me.
Much more sophisticated song structures than Planetary Duality. Although that album did have its positive aspects, each song on this album stands out significantly more. In addition, I think the clean vocals render the music much more interesting.
Mid way through just the second track, and I can say this is a damn fine release of extreme metal. reminds me a bit of between the buried and me
It's interesting that you say BtBAM, because I was thinking more that I hear some of Opeth in them during the calmer interludes. I will have to listen more closely during the next listen.
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"I am not superstitious, but I'm a little 'stitious." - Michael Scott
Mid way through just the second track, and I can say this is a damn fine release of extreme metal. reminds me a bit of between the buried and me
Lol The Faceless are lightyears beyond BtBaM
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go.
What an amazing fucking album. Every song sounds distinct and stands out from the rest, something which I find to be exceedingly rare in the technical death department. A phenomenal effort !
Surprised at how much I enjoy this album now, given how much I used to despise everything The Faceless had done (I still hate the previous two albums). As a guitarist I have a certain appreciation for that aspect of the music, as it's a very interesting blend of styles. Michael Keene is a complete beast