Tech-metal outfit FALLUJAH intensify their metallic dynamism on stunning new album, Empyrean. Built on an “all killer, no filler” maxim, the Bay Area-based quartet delivered just that on album number five. From video single “Radiant Ascension” and “Embrace Oblivion” to “Soulbreaker” and “Mindless Omnipotent Master,” Empyrean is breathtaking in atmospheric expanse and impressive in sophistication. FALLUJAH’s overhauled lineup has contributed massively to the level-up on display. Primary songwriter/guitarist Scott Carstairs and compeer/drummer Andrew Baird enlisted Archaeologist’s Kyle Schaefer and Evan Brewer (formerly Entheos/The Faceless) as their new vocalist and bassist, respectively. Technicians at heart but looking for old flames, FALLUJAH rediscovered their muse on Empyrean.

“After such an experimental expression [with Undying Light], we sat down to write Empyrean completely refreshed and inspired,” reveals 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. 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.”
Since forming in 2007, FALLUJAH have triumphed over their challenges. Whether it’s self-administering the band, going to school, writing music, or working full-time, they’ve savored release of and diehard fan admiration for five albums in The Harvest Wombs (2011), The Flesh Prevails (2014), Dreamless (2016), Undying Light (2019), and their latest Empyrean.

While far too many progressive and technical death metal bands are happy to walk the same path and stick to a tried-and-true sound, on their second full-length The Zenith Passage forge new and exhilarating territory. From start to finish, Datalysium is driven by imagination, and played by artists who have full command of their instruments, creating something that stands out of any pack while maintaining what made them such a riveting proposition in the first place.

When asked to describe the record, the band do so vividly: "Imagine if Necrophagist and Meshuggah were married, and Cynic and Extol got married, then years later they went to a swingers party to spice up their relationships, which then became a regular thing. From this, they all had a kid together, no one knows who the biological father is, but that's cool because they're co-parenting. That kid then grows up, idolizing David Lynch, Ridley Scott and film noir. He then goes to film school for a couple of years, but drops out because he'd rather play synth music, but ends up broke and homeless. Then Datalysium would be that kid."

The album was recorded between McKinney's home studio and Rydquist's apartment, with some vocals tracked at Flatline Audio with Dave Otero (Cattle Decapitation, WAKE), who also mixed the album. McKinney handled the tracking, while they brought in Ryan Williams (The Black Dahlia Murder, John Frum) to produce some of the bass and vocals. Having been friends with Williams for years, it felt natural to have him be a part of the recording process, while Otero also contributed profoundly. A longtime friend of McKinney, this is the first time they have actually collaborated on a record. "Dave is the kind of dude that just gets it, when going for the sound or idea we have in mind, even bringing an idea to light that we never even thought to do and collaborating and expanding on these ideas further. We were expecting some really epic stuff from Dave, but the end result of that has proved to be way more than those expectations."