Xenotaph
2025 studio album by Fallujah
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Xenotaph is the sixth studio album by American death metal band Fallujah. It was released on June 13, 2025, via Nuclear Blast Records, in vinyl, CD and digital formats.[1] It features the singles, "Kaleidoscopic Waves", "Labyrinth of Stone" and "Step Through the Portal and Breathe".[2][3][4]
- Flatline Audio, Denver, Colorado
- Top Track Studios, Nashville, Tennessee
| Xenotaph | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 13, 2025 | |||
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| Genre | Progressive metal, technical death metal | |||
| Length | 42:19 | |||
| Label | Nuclear Blast | |||
| Producer | Fallujah | |||
| Fallujah chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Xenotaph | ||||
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Background
Kyle Schaefer, the lead vocalist of Fallujah, described the album as their "most technical, dynamic and progressive material to date", calling it the band's most "collaborative" and "ambitious" album.[5] It was mixed, mastered and engineered by Dave Otero, and produced by the band.[5]
Preceded by Empyrean, the band's 2022 project, Xenotaph consists of eight tracks,[6] ranging between three and seven minutes each, with a total runtime of approximately forty-two minutes. Incorporating progressive rock and jazz fusion, it was noted as encompassing technical death metal.[1]
The cover art for the album was created by Peter Mohrbacher.[7]
The band released the first single of Xenotaph on March 5, 2025, titled "Kaleidoscopic Waves".[2][6] "Labyrinth of Stone" was released as the second single on April 16, 2025, alongside a music video directed by Sam Mooradian.[3][8] It was followed by "Step Through the Portal and Breathe" as the album's third single on May 14, 2025, with a music video.[4][9]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Blabbermouth |    |
| Metal Hammer | |
| MetalSucks | |
Gareth Allen of Louder Than War remarked, "This is quite simply a must listen metal album that redefines the creative possibilities within technical death metal."[1] Blabbermouth rated the album eight and a half out of ten, stating "There is no denying that Fallujah are clever bastards, but soul and emotion are bubbling away, close to the surface and fundamental to the band's refined artistry. Put more simply, Xenotaph is a transcendental tour-de-force."[10]
MetalSucks gave it a score of four and a half out of five and described it as "a tremendous accomplishment that further validates Fallujah as a dominant force in the realm of progressive/technical death metal."[11] It was given a rating of eight out of ten by Tom O'Boyle of Metal Hammer, who noted, "With Xenotaph clocking it at only 44 minutes, Fallujah retains a degree of accessibility to their glitzy technicality."[12]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "In Stars We Drown" | 3:06 |
| 2. | "Kaleidoscopic Waves" | 4:12 |
| 3. | "Labyrinth of Stone" | 5:45 |
| 4. | "The Crystalline Veil" | 5:46 |
| 5. | "Step Through the Portal and Breathe" | 6:40 |
| 6. | "A Parasitic Dream" | 3:33 |
| 7. | "The Obsidian Architect" | 5:47 |
| 8. | "Xenotaph" | 7:30 |
| Total length: | 42:19 | |
Personnel
Credits for Xenotaph adapted from Blabbermouth.[5]
Fallujah
- Kyle Schaefer – vocals, programming
- Scott Carstairs – lead guitar
- Sam Mooradian – rhythm guitar
- Evan Brewer – bass
- Kevin Alexander – drums
Additional contributors
- Fallujah – production
- Dave Otero – engineering, mixing, mastering
- Mike Low – engineering
- Peter Mohrbacher – cover art