Planetary Duality Review

Released: Nov 11, 2008
Label: Sumerian Records
Number Of Tracks: 9
The guitars on The Faceless's new album, tone wise are very nice. The drum mix is a little loud at times, and it blocks out the guitars but you can still hear them most of the time and solo's are always nice and clear.

Sound:	9.5
Lyrics:	8.5
Impression:	8.5
Overall rating:	8.8
Users rating:	9.8
Comments:	25

overall: 9

Featured review by: guitar_jew, on september 08, 2009

Sound: Planetary Duality. The title implies science fiction, which is relatively prevalent throughout the album, with song titles such as 'XenoChrist' and 'Shape Shifters.'

The album opens with the short, hard hitting Prison Born, with its blisteringly fast fills and stop-rhythm chorus. Michael Keene's guitar performance throughout the record is extremely well-constructed, with some of the best melody lines you've ever heard on a death metal album, such as in 'Coldly Calculated Design' and 'The Ancient Covenant.' The medley that is the title track is an extremely effective dose of ambience in the first movement, and unforgiving death metal in the second.

Lyle Cooper's drumming is just outright fantastic, if only for the fact that the drumming fits in with the music, even among the complex time signature changes. The bass is barely noticeable, except for the tapping fill that opens 'The Ancient Covenant.' // 10

Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics are typical death metal fare, but the way in which they are presented are what really prevent the album from ever becoming monotonous. You've got the standard growling and shrieking for most of the album, but amidst this, there are sections where the vocals take on a 'robot' sound, and even some bits where Keene takes on some clean singing, which lends to the songs extremely effectively, without sounding horribly out of place, except for one instance in 'Sons of Belial,' which isn't, by any means, a bad song.

The clean vocals are an extremely welcome change from typical death metal, especially in that they don't sound like something you'd find on a Killswitch Engage record. // 8

Impression: Several fans have complained that the album is too short. But that's th beauty of it. You can listen to the whole thing without getting bored, or being unable to differentiate between two songs. Because Planetary Duality is so short, it saves itself from the monotony that plagues even the best of death metal records.

All in all, it's an excellent album. I definitely recommend it to anyone who appreciates a good death metal band, but isn't closed-minded to some unusual aspects of the music. // 9

overall: 8.7

Reviewed by: deathmetalmann, on november 12, 2008

Sound: The guitars on The Faceless's new album, tone wise are very nice. The drum mix is a little loud at times, and it blocks out the guitars but you can still hear them most of the time and solo's are always nice and clear. They still hold on to thier Technical Death Metal label with intense runs, blazing speed, and some very nice riffs that grab you and don't let go. I heard more Black Metal influence guitar, drum, and ambience wise later in the album. Drums on this album, are as on the last album; impressive. Super fast double bass, with some creative fills. Like mentioned before, it seems in some songs that the drums and snare are a little too loud.

Vocal wise, the volume at times was a hair quiet, screaming was still very good. The robotic vocals, sounded a bit nasaly somehow. I prefer the Demo version of "The Ancient Covenant" robotic vocals. Overall sound production, at times I think there was too much production put into this album. // 9

Lyrics and Singing: I enjoyed the story to this album. Good use of language, they didn't throw in too many, what can be percieved to be "big words". The lyrics did a good job of painting the picture I think the band wanted people to see. In compliance with the music, everything fit together pretty well. The man's speaking introduction ("Planetary Duality" Part 1) was a good buildup to the 2nd part. Screaming skills, nothing different from "Akeldama". Nice layering in some areas. Singing wise, I didn't feel that some of the singing parts fit the album at times. Especially in "Sons of Belial" it just didn't sound like it fit in this genre of music. I appreciate the need for change although. // 9

Impression: This album is too short! It lifts you up quickly and then lets you down as quickly as it brought you up! There are some very very nice moments on this album. The most impressive songs I would have to say are "The Ancient Covenant", the short "Prison Born" and "Legion of the Serpent". I like the slight Black Metal influence in some songs and the piano part in "Legion of the Serpent". Like mentioned before, I dislike the drum volume and the slight overproduced sound. But, other than that, the ambience, mood, tone, and everything else is very well structured and stands out well. As short as it is, I would buy it again if something were to happen to my copy. // 8

Comments

[flemflames]

Good album.

Still not fully grown onto me yet, but then I think about how damn long "Akeldama" took before I absolutely loved it!

"XenoChrist" is my favourite song.

[Zao_89]

Yeah XenoChrist and Planetary Duality I are great. I couldnt believe the cd was only half an hour though.

[wrokmygoat]

the best fuuhquin faceless album ever!!!! so technical...my only issue is to short!!!!! i neeed MORE!!!!! =)

[SatanicShredder]

This album is sweet.

Reminds me a little TOO much of Psycroptic at times though...

[avengedEVANfold]

SatanicShredder wrote:

This album is sweet.

Reminds me a little TOO much of Psycroptic at times though...

too much Psycroptic?!
is there such as thing?!

[hellraiser91]

I agree with xenochrist as the best song.
I don't think the singing in Sons of Belial fit very well either...
great album tho!

[jessejames1414]

Yeah the vocalist sounds like Psycroptic sometimes but even tho they both have similar styles of playing guitar I don't think they're the same as Psycroptic.

[huevos]

SatanicShredder wrote:

This album is sweet.

Reminds me a little TOO much of Psycroptic at times though...

That kinda bugged me.
I'm not one for Psycroptic.

I listened through again, and I think this album is almost an ode to all Tech-death bands.
I hear lots of Cynic, Arsis, Quo Vadis, Gorguts (I can't comprehend the riffing patterns at times), Anata, Necrophagist, Meshuggah, Spawn of Possession, Beneath the Massacre, Decapitated, and the like.
But it's undeniably The Faceless.

[Punkrocker94]

Album of the year.

[tallaxegrinder]

the insanely sinister catch of the way "sons of belial" flows makes this one of my all time favorite metal albums. i have loved this band since i first heard pestilence and cant wait to see them in tampa.

[Gregray88]

Awesome album, I feel a HUGE Opeth influence on this album.

[XENOCHRIST]

absolutely amazing.

[I<3Hobos]

My fav. album of the year.

[tminigh]

Fucking brilliant!

[TheReverend724]

i saw them the day the cd came out
nothing short of incredible

[MandoMetal]

my favorite freakin artist now,=D

[Metalhead45]

FUCKING BRUTAL!!!!!
I can't listen to any other metal now without being like, "This is nothing to 'the Faceless!'"

\m/

[hendrixrocks41]

The Faceless are great this is by far my favorite cd of the year. if you like that then try all shall perish newest cd

[xXrashXx]

best album of the year.

[EvoLancer211]

I still think "Akeldama" was a better album, but I mean don't get me wrong "Planetary Duality" was a good album but as I stated earlier "Akledama" all the way

[Wartooth]

this album is absolutely amazing. Im not a big death metal fan. But this album and Bloodbaths newey are the 2 best albums of 2008. i love it!

[Peres.T.Peanut]

Amazing, solid album. Brutal and melodic at times. The atmosphere is really intense througout the whole album. Freakin love the guitars in Legions of the Serpent.

[plague_runner]

Too short but hella amzing....but if a band is going to add clean vocals then add more than 20 seconds worth, the vocoder is cool in the likeness of cynic. Amzing and brilliant and the lyrics a intelligent.

[chevelletmb]

sons of belials clean powermetal vocals are my only complaint on this album, the rest is goddamn genius.

[sexclamation]

those weren't power metal vocals guy above me. Power metal vocalists usually use a higher pitch and sound a little bit like women. The guy didn't sound like a woman but the singing didn't really fit