DENSE RHYTHMS // The Faceless - Planetary Duality // Composer Reaction & Analysis

[@jakel7213]

This album is what got me into tech-death. It's wild how well it still holds up today.

[@dariotoker651]

Me too!

[@supersapphire]

planetary duality will always be one of my favorite techdeath albums short and sweet in a runtime around 30 mins. When they released their 2 singles for this album on myspace I was mind blown, it's a night and day difference in every aspect following up their first album.

[@thefilmeffect6089]

This is one of the few albums that I would call perfect from the songwriting, lyrics, vocals, production, artwork, etc. It’s been one of my favorite albums regardless of genre and Im not a big tech-death fan.

[@bigtaliberto3092]

That transition into part 2 and then that smooth riff just pleases my ears.

[@adriancole9681]

This is such a beast of an album. One of those perfect death metal albums. Worth doing an album review. This song rules. I love the way the opening sample interplays with the music. Especially when they go back into that drum and bass groove.

[@saughs]

I remember driving to buy this album with my college roommate who was more of a hip hop guy. The vocals obviously weren't for him, but even he was like "the guitar is cool, I won't lie" haha

[@spider7venstring]

There's not even one skippable song on this album. One of the few perfect tech-death albums for me personally.

[@lukasdiwoky5]

prime michael keene is my favorite of all time. godspeed my man.

[@hydraglide69]

Agreed. The Faceless just scratches an itch that nothing else does quite the same way. I don't dare look up how he is doing because it has never been good news :/

[@Qliphirot]

He's up there with Muhammed in creativity for me.

[@stephenchwalek]

This will forever be one of my favorite tech death albums of all time. Absolutely worth a full listen front to back. It’s very technical and plays around with fresh/interesting ideas (especially for 2008ish?) but it’s also really concise and memorable with zero filler. It was significant for the era as it was one of 2 albums jointly released as the first releases for Sumerian Records which as we know, came to be a very successful venture for the underground heavy music scene (Animals as Leaders, Bad Omens, Poppy, etc.). I saw them live a few times with this lineup (Lyle Cooper on drums) and they were just awesome and super tight. Great analysis, as always!

[@janeg6759]

I have been waiting for this forever lol! TBH I did not like The Faceless when I first heard their album Akeldama. I developed a love over time though, especially when I heard the entire Planetary Duality album. Had it on repeat for a while when it came out and it is still my very favorite tech death album of all time. I really love everything they have done now and binge their discography when the mood strikes. Thank you so much for this! Enjoyed your analysis as always!

[@muskett00]

Wasn't expecting those vocals at the end... Made it feel like old Opeth in Space for a bit, before the super intensity. Impressive and listenable for me, but only just due to the incredible talent and creativity.

[@stephenmaclaren8599]

The live drum cam video of this is legendary

[@markblaauw4961]

Oops. I missed out. Again.... Never took the time to dive in their work. That changes now 😊

[@Randinator]

I learned this entire album on guitar recently. The scales are primarily harmonic minor, augmented, and diminished with some whole tone here and there.

[@Qliphirot]

Bro you should cover the whole album here

[@chrisdepp7665]

Heya Bryan! Thx for playing awesome Faceless! They were saying that Lyle Cooper (drummer) was possessed! I think he is just insanely gifted!!!

[@maffrocks666]

This whole album is peak tech death, Xenochrist is a personal favourite 🤘

[@mikaelakerfeldt27]

hey man, love your reactions! what about the new Opeth single? I would love to hear your thoughts.

[@CriticalReactions]

Opeth has a new one? Maybe that's what I'll check out for New Music Friday!

[@progperljungman8218]

​@@CriticalReactionsPlease do 🙏

[@lucanhenrique7457]

They went to straight technical deathcore, to the most badass Tech Death sound ever, and then switched to progressive and more black metal approach, what a band...

[@Qliphirot]

And waiting for what Keene will bring to the table with the next one.

[@rondomane]

@@Qliphirot apparently hes fucked up on heroine... shit sucks

[@drphdmd7064]

The vocalist from Black Crown Initiate and Replacire is the new vocalist for The Faceless. Gonna be SICK.

[@Ro700Repeater]

He only did one show for The Faceless and that was 2 years ago. They're inactive since then.

[@Qliphirot]

I've talked to Keene, he's slowly working on the new album. He walked away from drugs and is married now.

[@Ro700Repeater]

@@Qliphirot I don't know when you talked to him but his Fiancee passed away 2 years ago and he's definitely relapsed.

[@Qliphirot]

​@@Ro700RepeaterI've talk to him about a year ago, we were chatting about production and mixing. He didn't touch much on his personal life besides saying he stop doing drugs after he married but he was mourning the lost of a close one. Damn bro, I would never thought it was he's wife. That is really tough.

[@volvulusx5043]

the first part uses a sample that was an actual call someone made to a radio show. almost certainly bogus but it was a good performance if something kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZPYmKqkhKpooLM Anyway, love this album. I find it to be a lot stronger than the rest of their discography. I might have to rank these as the last place if I were to rank the tracks on the album, but still good. There's this drum cam video of one of their live shows and it's a classic video. I remember some weird religious youtube channel analyzing it and claiming that the dude was possessed by the devil, or something crazy like that... kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJuviaunn52jqdE I can't find said video but there's the drum cam. admittedly the expressions are odd but dude's crushing it either way

[@JBrimBloodG]

the goat

[@Luemm3l]

to chime in on the rhythm discussion... yes, there are lots of 4/4 parts, but also 3/4s and 6/4s, some parts even 7/4 or 5/4, least for teh guitar parts and since often the drums sync up to them, I guess goes for them too. what is also quite a bit in there are dotted notes, ,especially when they linger a little longer on one, so again another measure to make things weirder than they actually are . Also, pauses. put some eigth or sixteenth note pauses in the chugging and switch tat up in another bar and it seems the rhythm has shifted when it is still 3/4 or 4/4. other than that, your typical 16th notes for fast metal.

[@Matt1the3beast]

Allegaeon - The Dopamine Void Part I and II would fit nicely with this theme

[@ysqure3]

Or Extremophiles (A) and (B)

[@cgo7395]

love this album. love it.

[@Growtolight]

The Zenith Passage - Datalysium (2023) you hear? new faceless

[@bymyenemy]

🤘🤘🤘🤘

[@elleshar666]

Can you give Esatic fear's a sombre dance album by any chance?

[@luthfanrifqi3866]

please listen cynic - aurora, or fleshgod apocalypse labyrinth full album, i think you gonna like it

[@jwillingham88]

Alex Rudinger is a god tier drummer. This album was alright, but tbh Akeldama is better...

[@MattJFilms]

I'm a massive massive fan of Alex, and his drum play-throughs/tour work with them was/is insane, but the writing and original album drumming is from Lyle Cooper :)

[@jwillingham88]

@@MattJFilms I saw em live twice in like 08-09, yeah I knew it was a different dude. \m/

[@stephenchwalek]

This would’ve been Lyle Cooper on drums!

[@jwillingham88]

@@stephenchwalek yeah literally said that thanks!

[@nicolashunter4131]

Same sample used by Tool in their hidden track "Faaip de Oiad" from Lateralus. A prank call to AM radio show Coast to Coast.