FACELIFT DEFORMATION: “CYBERNETIC ORGANISM ATROCITIES”

 

(Vonlughlio returns to NCS with a review of the forthcoming second album by the slamming brutal death metal band Facelift Deformation.)

This time around I’m writing about Facelift Deformation‘s sophomore effort, Cybernetic Organism Atrocities, to be released on the 31st of August via Realityfade Records. To be honest, I had heard of this Hong Kong/Taiwan project last year when they released their debut album Domination to Extermination (with another label) but never got around to listening to it.

Realityfade Records made the announcement that they would be releasing this new material, and I was intrigued, to say the least. This label has amazing bands such as Interminable Corruptions, MDMA, Habitual Depravity, Ineffable Demise, Coprobaptized Cunthunter, Decomposition of Entrails, Dysmorfectomy, and ByoNoiseGenetator, just to name a few. I recall when Mr. Sagaidak started this label and it’s good to see the development throughout the years, with a roster that includes many slam/BDM bands I enjoy and some deathcore bands too.  While deathcore is not my thing, I can respect the fact that he is doing what he likes and is not afraid to expand his vision on his own terms.

 

 

While I must confess that slam/BDM bands are hit or miss for me, I decided to give this project a listen out of respect for Mr. Sagaidak and the musicians involved in the band. So, the plan of action was to go back to the beginning (the first album) to get myself acquainted with the music, and I found it quite surprising. The natural production was good and the songs structures were interesting, allowing the musicians to shine in their debut. I won’t say that it was groundbreaking at all, but rather a good start and enough to keep me interested.

For their new release Mr. Wang (Bass), Mr. NG (Guitar), and Mr. Leung (Vocals) had Mr. Correia from Analepsy as their session drummer. After listening to their new full-length, I found that it’s a major step up from their debut. With a production that is cleaner, it sure elevates the music, where each of the instruments has a pivotal role in the overall delivery of the songs.

Cybernetic Organism Atrocities is a solid album that has found itself a constant place in my playlist. The riffs are varied and keep one engaged through all 11 chapters of this sci-fi slamming brutality. The bass is handled with precision and provides an excellent counterpart to the guitars, becoming a hero on its own terms. The vocals are very well done and are diverse, and stand out for the most part. I enjoyed the patterns that were used, which show great skills. Perhaps needless to say, the drumming was executed with perfection, and really added value as compared to the debut release; it is  one of the highlights of this effort.

 

The sci-fi terror themes, carried from the cover art to the song titles and the intros in some of the songs, are another positive feature of the album. Taking time to connect things together in these ways shows that the musicians had an overall vision, which they have pursued since the inception of the band. This is something that a lot of bands don’t give much thought to, and to see it here is fantastic.

Overall, as mentioned earlier, this sophomore effort is a major step up in the right direction for Facelift Deformation, and I’m now interested to see what the future will bring. So if you have the opportunity, give this a listen. I hope you will like it. Realityfade will release the album on August 31st.

PRE-ORDER:
https://realityfaderecords.bandcamp.com/album/cybernetic-organism-atrocities

FACELIFT DEFORMATION:
https://www.facebook.com/FLDSBDM/

REALITYFADE:
https://www.realityfade.com/
https://realityfaderecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/realityfade