Fallujah Xenotaph Review
Fallujah
Xenotaph
Nuclear Blast Records
2025
Apparently, 2025 is shaping up to be the year of the Progressive Death Metal renaissance. We’ve already seen heavyweights like Rivers of Nihil and Allegaeon drop strong entries into the fold, but truthfully, those records fade into the periphery when placed beside the cosmic monolith that is “Xenotaph”, the latest offering from Fallujah.
Now, I won’t pretend to be a lifelong disciple of the band, but I’ve spent enough time in their orbit to understand what they’re capable of. And make no mistake, they’re operating on a level that feels almost extraterrestrial. Fallujah doesn’t write music; they conjure entire sonic galaxies, bending time, space, and atmosphere into something beyond the sum of its parts. Sure, aggression is there, but it’s the atmosphere where the magic lies. The band transcends Prog Death norms, shedding the flesh of genre to become something more… something other.
“Xenotaph”, the band’s sixth full-length, lands June 13th, and it doesn’t signal a band running out of steam, it beams ascension. This is Fallujah not only refining their sound but redefining what modern Metal can be. But let me be clear: this isn’t for everyone. If you’re not wired for sci-fi grandeur or open to forward-thinking composition, this may slip past you unnoticed. However, if you crave mind-bending arrangements, unhinged technicality, and deep immersion, then Fallujah has crafted a sanctuary. One where reality dissolves, and the music becomes the only truth.
The concept behind the record is vast, a cerebral voyage influenced heavily by Children of Dune and the Dune saga in general. Vocalist Kyle Schaefer channels this mythology into a storyline where each track serves as a chapter in a post-death odyssey. The protagonist, suspended in a liminal dream-state, encounters a celestial guide, angelic in form, but seething with malevolent intent. I’ll admit, the plot is dense, and for someone like me who leans toward the immersive over the narrative, the lyrics may have helped… But when the instrumentation is this meticulously chaotic, even the clearest words might struggle to keep pace.
This album is as close to divine perfection as modern Metal gets. Every note, every shift, every transition feels surgically executed, not a single misstep, not one jarring surprise that pulls you from the world they've created. It's frightening how clean this record is… too clean at times, as if it were crafted in the vacuum of space, untouched by human imperfection.
For fans of Progressive Death and science fiction alike, “Xenotaph” is a required pilgrimage. It’s a wormhole carved into vinyl, and I can only imagine the warmth and magnitude it would yield in analog form.
Essential Tracks: “Kaleidoscope In Waves,” “Step Through the Portal and Breathe,” “A Parasitic Dream,” and the sprawling, celestial title track “Xenotaph.”