Death Metal with a tact and musical chemistry that'd make Rush blush! Faceless Burial are the power trio of Fuj (White Walls,The Blinds), Alex Macfarlane (The Stevens, Tyrannamen, Hobbies Galore records etc) and Max Kohane (Internal Rot, Ubik, Pivixki etc), three beloved members of many different music communities.I mention this outside-of-metal lineage but it must be said that this is not an ironic post-metal crossover record. It's firmly situated within the parameters of Death Metal, and within those parameters they carve out a unique space.While Death Metal’s potency is often measured in extremities and transgressions, the real strength of Speciation is (wait for it)... incredibly interesting songwriting.Yes that may not sound as thrilling as the filth ridden atmosphere of Pissgrave or Undergang, but trust me, it is. Paired with a powerful band-in-a-room sounding, high-fidelity, neutral but not dull recording, it's "epic" and "brutal" and really just astonishing in a way I can’t convey.On Speciation Faceless Burial feel like kindred spirits to Death, Gorguts, Blood Incantation and Miles Davis in the 70s. It's studious and immersive but far from sterile and nerdy. - Nic
