Faithxtractor
Razing The World Of Myth
6.8
When I did a little research and learned that Ash Thomas from Estuary is half of this band I had a feeling that Razing the World of Myth would kick ass. You see, Thomas plays all the guitar parts in Estuary, and if you do a little research of your own you'll see that I gave that band's last album, The Craft of Contradiction, a decidedly favorable review. Thomas had a big part in that. It might be harder to write a melodic death metal album worth the public's attention than it is any other genre or sub-genre of music, but Estuary (and Thomas) did just that not only once but twice. This brings us to FaithXtractor, a band that I'll use my critic card on here for a second and label "old-school death metal," for lack of a better immediate tag. So how would Ash Thomas and (his brother?) Marquis Thomas sound taking a more direct approach to one of music's most neglected second cousins?
Let's get one thing straight before I continue: By old-school I am not inferring that the production sucks or that the album sounds exactly like Death, Massacre, Deicide, etc. In fact, the production is pretty decent given that these guys aren't walking into the studio with Bill Gates' monthly profits. Rather, what I am saying is that this isn't a bunch of blasting garbage that disguises itself as "technical." Nope, this is death metal of the honest sort; earnest in its approach, admirable in its straight-forwardness. Does this make the for the most compelling listen? No. Compelling is too strong a word. In my opinion, it somehow suggests something outstanding. Entertaining? Sure. Listen to the primal frenzy of "Realization and Hatred" (parts 1 and II) and you will most certainly be entertained. Most of Razing the World of Myth is actually deceivingly diverse. The more lumbering passages, like the ones found in "Wrath and Complicity" and "Bottomfeeder," remind me a bit of Immolation while the fire and thunder of "Emulate the Cattle Stare" sounds a little like Krisiun, at least in spirit. You could reference a number of bands that this one sounds like, and that by no means is a put-down. The fact that the two musicians involved can be mentioned within the same sentence shows respect enough for their talents. However, while it is no put-down, it does suggest that the band could work harder to create a more distinct musical identity. That particular gripe is to blame for the songwriting score sitting firm at four.
FaithXtractor aren't offering anything that we haven't heard before. The truth is, it has been done better (Incantation, Krisiun, Malevolent Creation, etc.). Nonetheless, if you're really fiending for some above-average death metal with some punch then you could do much worse than Razing the World of Myth. If nothing more, this first full-length shows promise, and if the maturation process that Estuary went through from debut to sophomore effort is any indication of what Thomas is capable of with this band then I'd say we're in for a treat given a year or three of waiting.
