Fäust – Death From Beyond
Release Date: 9th December 2022
Label: Black Lion Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Melodic Black Metal, Black Metal, Blackened Death.
FFO: Dissection, Necrophobic, Watain, Sacramentum.
Review By: Andy Spoon
Single-man project Fäust is set to release his new LP, Death From Beyond on December 9th, 2022 in time for end-of-year considerations for black metal and melodic black metal fans. Ultimately possessing control over the entire process, contributing artist Michaël Hellström has produced a well-rounded and consistent album that is not only competently-made, but entertaining and engaging from first to last.
I was most impressed with his intermixing of the lead guitar in the mix. There is definitely a sound that mixes thrash guitar with the black metal, something that is worthwhile, as black metal has few “good” crossover projects in my humble opinion. Outside of blackened death, it’s hard for a black metal album to incorporate thrash or grindcore elements well (exception KVAEN), but Fäust makes a compelling case that serious speed-chugging and fiery lead solos absolutely belong within the realm of blackened music when done correctly. I think that the nature of the single-man project is what can give the project the ability to execute that vision, as many bands have a hard time innovating sound with the personalities and skill levels in different strata.
The vocals are harsh and juicy, making the overall sound dirty and evil, something that pushes the blackened/death elements. The enunciation is executed well, making the lyrical content much easier to decipher. I really enjoy his mid-growl technique, as it lends itself to being just “perfect” alongside the guitar and keyboard pads across the tracks. It’s definitely not as harsh as the Dani Filth-style “quacking” black metal vocal. Frankly, if all black metal vocals were more like Hellstrom’s I’d be a much bigger fan of black metal in general, as variation breeds innovation and unique identity in the project.
I think that the drums are the weak point of the album. There is nothing wrong with the actual tracking, per se, but they do have some of the over polished notes of being triggered/tracked that are somewhat evident at moments. It doesn’t take away from the general meaning or feel of the individual tracks, but it does cheapen an otherwise very strong overall sound. 99% of listeners will never be able to hear that note, so I am not considering it anything that is going to really hurt the album. It’s merely something that I wish could have been a little different. With technology going where it is, being able to program drums like this is a technical wonder, helping single-person projects get recorded, but it isn’t a total replacement for the old-school, yet.
I think that the album flows easily and makes for a generally-entertaining listen. The tracks have a tendency to get somewhat repetitive over time, as there are some major themes that never seem to vary, but that is something that could be spun either good or bad. The album’s entire feel is remarkably consistent and thematically-stable. I like the fact that I can play it back to front and enjoy it over and over. I had played it over three times before moving on, something that isn’t that common, at least for me. I was almost surprised at how much of the album had gone by before I looked up and saw the track number, something that many listeners will probably experience as well.
(3 / 5)
