While technical death metal band
the Faceless have always had a bit of a progressive streak, they really run with it on their third album,
Autotheism. Opening with the sprawling three-track suite "Autotheist Movement,"
the Faceless let listeners know that they're in for something different right off the bat as they accent their dazzling metal with piano, organ, and even saxophone. This kind of experimentation shows that the band is willing to really explore and try new things, which in a lot of ways is more metal than just seeing how many breakdowns you can string together before everyone involved needs a break. For anyone who has followed the band,
Autotheism feels like part of a logical evolution, with the band expanding its sound from album to album before really cutting loose and diving headfirst into more heady waters. While this expedition into prog doesn't make them
Opeth by any means, it's definitely a wake-up call that
the Faceless are a band that metal fans should be paying attention to sooner rather than later. ~ Gregory Heaney