Bay Area progressive death metal band Fallujah have announced a new album, Empyrean, and shared the lead single “Radiant Ascension” ahead of the LP’s September 9th release date.
It marks the first new material from Fallujah since 2019, though the band’s trademark technical affinities haven’t dulled in the least. “Radiant Ascension” sees a reinvigorated Fallujah hitting on all cylinders, and the track’s more straightforward sonic approach harkens back to 2014’s The Flesh Prevails — arguably the finest hour of the band’s career so far.
“After such an experimental expression [with 2019’s Undying Light], we sat down to write Empyrean completely refreshed and inspired,” said songwriter/guitarist Scott Carstairs. “It was like the musical tension of the last decade had been released, and we were ready to achieve goals the band had originally set out for.”
He continued: “Empyrean is truly a return to form because we are doing what comes naturally to us, but with an intensity that we haven’t achieved in the past. We set out to create something that represents the band and its history in its purest form while also pushing our technical abilities further than we have ever gone.”
The record was recorded with an overhauled lineup featuring Carstairs, drummer Andrew Baird, newly added vocalist Kyle Schaefer (of Archaeologist), and bassist Evan Brewer (ex-Entheos/The Faceless).
“We’ve developed our own defined sound over the years, but on this album, our new members helped bring in some new perspectives,” added Carstairs. “We incorporated new elements such as counterpoint and tempo changes but maintained elements integral to the band and even brought back techniques used in older records. At this point, it’s all about elegantly presenting the sound we have cultivated over the last decade.”
Pre-order Empyrean via Nuclear Blast. Watch the video for “Radiant Ascension” and see the album art and tracklist below.
Empyrean Artwork:
Empyrean Tracklist:
01. The Bitter Taste Of Clarity
02. Radiant Ascension
03. Embrace Oblivion
04. Into The Eventide
05. Eden’s Lament
06. Soulbreaker
07. Duality of Intent
08. Mindless Omnipotent Master
09. Celestial Resonance
10. Artifacts
