Masters of progressive death metal Fallujah will make their anticipated return this spring with the release of their 6th studio album, “Xenotaph”, due out on June 13th, 2025, from Nuclear Blast Records.
Picking up where they left off with 2022’s critically heralded “Empyrean”, the band expands the depth and breadth of their dexterous, aggressive sound while exploring extraterrestrial realms on an epic sci-fi journey through space and time.
Commenting on the impending record release, vocalist Kyle Schaefer states:
“We are excited to finally reveal Fallujah’s new album ‘Xenotaph’, marking the sixth chapter in our discography. This is our most ambitious record yet, and is certainly the band’s most technical, dynamic and progressive material to date. The music carried out by these eight tracks is matched with an equally ambitious concept, a lyrical story that traverses unfolding layers of time and reality in an otherworldly, post-death realm of existence.
Xenotaph is also our most collaborative album, with broad input from the current lineup leading us to expand the scope of our songwriting while simultaneously highlighting the true potential of everyone involved. We hope you’ll join us in welcoming this bold new stage of the band’s evolution”.
Today, Fallujah reveals the album’s stunning cover by Peter Mohrbacher, tracklist and release date as well as the first single, “Kaleidoscopic Waves”, that’s accompanied by the music video below.
Adding about the new song, Schaefer says:
“We knew ‘Kaleidoscopic Waves’ would be the perfect track to usher in this new era of Fallujah. It unmistakably showcases the soaring atmospheres and remarkable technicality the band is already known for, but with a new level of melodic depth and an invigorating desire to push beyond the boundaries of our previous work. It’s hard to fully encapsulate the vast scope of our new album with a single song, but ‘Kaleidoscopic Waves’ is a great place to start”.
Fallujah’s eagerly awaited 6th album, Xenotaph”, is available now for pre-order now on limited edition vinyl, CD and cassette.
Pre-order & pre-save “Xenotaph” here.
Tracklist:
1. In Stars We Drown
2. Kaleidoscopic Waves
3. Labyrinth of Stone
4. The Crystalline Veil
5. Step Through the Portal and Breathe
6. A Parasitic Dream
7. The Obsidian Architect
8. Xenotaph
Prog death-metal outfit Fallujah expand horizons and solidify their position as one of America’s most exciting acts on their new studio album, “Xenotaph”, through Nuclear Blast. The quintet’s confidence in the lineup that made their previous album, “Empyrean” (2022), such a resounding success — earning high marks from Metal Injection, New Noise, and Guitar World — has been reconfigured slightly, with guitarist Sam Mooradian (Inhale Existence, Sam Mooradian) and drummer Kevin Alexander (Disembodied Tyrant, Brought by Pain) bringing their jaw-dropping musical proficiency to the fold, as vocalist Kyle Schaefer, guitarist Scott Carstairs, and bassist Evan Brewer enter a new chapter with Fallujah. Moored by singles “Kaleidoscopic Waves”, “Labyrinth of Stone”, and “Step Through the Portal and Breathe”, “Xenotaph” is Fallujah personified, reinvigorated, and re-imagined.
“Xenotaph” was produced by Fallujah, engineered by Dave Otero (Cattle Decapitation, Archspire) and Mike Low (Vitriol, Aborted) at Flatline Audio in Denver, Colorado and Top Track Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. Otero also mixed and mastered “Xenotaph”. The main goal was elevation, building upon yet soaring upward from “Empyrean”, one of the group’s strongest productions to date. The team focused the separation of Fallujah’s breakneck pace, meticulous songcraft, euphonious leads, and unrivaled intensity, creating an experience pulls the listener into “Xenotaph’s high-caliber music and concept.
Beyond releasing “Xenotaph” to an anticipating fanbase, Fallujah take aim at the road, drawing upon the success of their “Empyrean” runs. Indeed, attendees to the group’s live performances have witnessed some of “Xenotaph”’s songs already, namely the shimmery prog-bounce and inner world horror of “The Obsidian Architect”. Fallujah are in a perpetual state of evolution, and “Xenotaph” demonstrates the group’s hard-won, if profound journey. For there is no reverse — only forward progress, and the path ahead is illuminating before them. Step through the portal if you dare…
Line-up:
Kyle Schaefer | Vocals, Programming
Scott Carstairs | Guitars
Sam Mooradian | Guitar
Evan Brewer | Bass
Kevin Alexander | Drums
