Fallujah serve pure dishes of brutality on a rough-edged, oxidized iron platter. Listening is akin to wolfing down the spiciest, hottest meals from a talented chef. You can appreciate that there’s flavor and talent in there, but the overwhelming experience is the punishment of the senses. Fallujah will absolutely scorch your ears all the way down. If you have an appetite for this kind of a challenge - - like a contestant in a hot wings eating contest, then “Undying Light” will be full of rewards for you.

The sandpaper comes mainly from the raw-voiced vocals, delivered by newguy, Antonio Palermo. When he stops for a breath and a throat lozenge, the proggy, technical, alternate time signature riffs and playing come through, and are actually pretty interesting. You eventually realize that this is the case for the entire thing; the hardcore vocals simply trample everything else while they’re going. Each of those moments are like the slow ascent on the roller-coaster, where you can actually take in your surroundings and appreciate what you’re experiencing.
They’re a technical, intelligent Death Metal band with components of Metalcore, especially in the vocals. Imagine if Between the Buried and Me maintained their screamy parts throughout everything.
My favorite here is the Gojira-reminiscent “Dopamine,” with the silver and bronze medals going to the Thrashy bits of “Sanctuary” and “Departure.”