UMUR "Nomadic" is an EP release by US,San Francisco based technical/progressive death metal act Fallujah. The EP was released through Unique Leader Records in April 2013. It´s the successor to the band´s debut full-length studio album "The Harvest Wombs (2011)". Fallujah have existed since 2007 and released a couple of demos and the "Leper Colony (2009)" EP before signing to Unique Leader Records for the release of their debut album.

The music on "Nomadic" pretty much continues the sci-fi themed technical/progressive metal style of "The Harvest Wombs (2011)". Fallujah are still pretty unique sounding within the genre because of how they combine technical/progressive death metal parts with atmospheric (at times ambient) synth heavy parts. The technical level of playing is high, the sound production clear and powerful, and the songwriting is strong too.

"Nomadic" features 3 tracks and a full playing time of 18:11 minutes. "The Dead Sea" and "Venom Upon the Blade", which bookend the EP, are both in the style described above while "Silent" is an atmospheric ambient track. The whole thing reeks of sci-fi atmosphere, which is a type of mood Fallujah are really successful in creating. My issues with the vocals on "The Harvest Wombs (2011)", which I felt were slightly generic, have been solved. This time around the growls are convincing and intelligible. The higher pitched screams also work to great effect.

Overall "Nomadic" shows development of the band´s sound and the promise I heard on "The Harvest Wombs (2011)", is even more apparent here. A full-length release of this quality and I think the band will have fullfilled that promise. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

adg211288 -Nomadic- is a 2013 EP release by US progressive/technical death metal act Fallujah. The three song EP is a digital only release. Fallujah previously released a full-length debut album, The Harvest Wombs, in 2011.

-Nomadic- comes across as something of a rarity within the death metal spectrum. Although black metal bands have long experimented with other sounds, such as ambient music and post-rock, these aren’t terms that you’ll have seen associated with a death metal act very much, if at all. I know I haven’t. What Fallujah have done here is most definitely a new one on me. That makes -Nomadic- quite the exciting release to say the very least.

There are only three tracks on the EP. On the surface two, the first and last, are what you’d expect from a release that is primarily describable as progressive/technical death metal. Both The Dead Sea and Venom Upon the Blade feature deep growling vocals, strong musicianship, and the much required intensity of death metal. Nothing particularly revolutionary there, but the songs go beyond that into atmospheric territory, including post-rock influences and even some ambient leanings. You’ve no doubt heard the term blackgaze by now but it seems Fallujah are here to make deathgaze a reality.

The real oddball though is the middle track of the three, Silent. This is a pure ambient track and just as how the different influences are applied seamlessly within Fallujah’s death metal tracks they’re also pretty damn good at producing a pure ambient song. The atmospheric take on the death metal tracks allows it to fit in well. While it is unexpected within such a short release, the results are very pleasing and I’m excited to hear how the band may utilise tracks like this in the future.

Fallujah have really surprised me with -Nomadic-. I hadn’t heard their music before and was honestly expecting another progressive/technical death metal act that at the end of the day didn’t bring anything to the table that other, bigger, acts weren’t already doing. Fallujah are anything but and an exceptional grade rating is deserved. If this is the sign of things to come, roll on a new full-length!

90/100

(Originally written for Heavy Metal Haven (http://metaltube.freeforums.org/fallujah-nomadic-t2891.html))