Slaughtersun first drew breathe in 2017 through the initial ideas of founder Ben Karas; however, it was not until 2022 that he could commit enough time and energy to the project to enable it to take flight. Having recruited Cody McCorry (his bandmate from Thank You Scientist), Jason Quinones and Justin Hillman to complete the line-up, they have set out to make an impression from the beginning. Considering Fall of the Firmament is the first release from the New Jersey quarter, it is a bold, confident statement of intent
Self-produced by Karas at his Frost Gauntlet Recording centre in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Slaughtersun are mainly based within the realms of death metal but also willingly embrace some fundamentals of blackened death, technical death and even moments of progressive metal (which is not altogether surprising considering the areas of music in which Thank You Scientist operate). Fall of the Firmament begins with restless, staccato riffs, immediately and intentionally unsettling the listener until Justin Hillman (credited as ‘Unearthly Wails’ in the band’s promotional material and on their website), with a menacing howl, heralds the arrival of the opening lyrics. From the first line, Hillman – full of foreboding malice - growls and snarls the alarming message, the reference to the mythical kingdom of Shambalah suggesting a desire to escape to a utopia but that such an escape is impossible. There will be no fleeing to Shambalah / As the planet spits and swallows you whole / The fallen angels of greed and sin / Have sired more Nephilim / It’s the lust for what we can’t have that does us in.
Expressing a deep dissatisfaction with modern society, Fall of the Firmament is a damning indictment of the current state of the world, the potential spiritual conflicts that arise from our digital activities and the traces they leave behind. Ben Karas (who handles ‘Treble Strings’ for Slaughtersun) explains his thinking behind the lyrics. “This song combines the lore of the Nephilim, which are a race of giant angels rumoured to be responsible for the great flood, and pits that dynamic against the tech age and the giant names of that industry mimicking the decadence and ugliness that brought about the end times."
Fall of the Firmament loops and spirals through different musical landscapes from intense, rapid riffs and penetrating double kick drum patterns (which sensibly are not overused by Jason Quinones –credited as Hammer Battalion) to a slower, groove-laden central segment, over which a haunting spoken word section hovers (So if the planet is dying / We must return to the dark / The only way to save the earth / Slaughter of the stars), before the vocals return to repeat the verse with twisted and savage barbery. Via a short, pain-fuelled guitar solo, the band return to the opening riff and the track builds in ferocity until its conclusion. Throughout, the lyrics reference over reliance modern technology, the rise of AI, our disconnection from the natural world and the potential foresight needed to contain something that is potentially on the verge of becoming unmanageable. We had cars that drove us places / And people that bought us food / Stacked the buildings so tall / We called concrete society’s glue / Had a watch that counts my steps / And a phone that listens to me through you / Now I must hold a rite to the earth / Burn a sacrifice to honour the skies of blue.
In their own words, Fall of the Firmament “displays their lament for the miserable collapse of an ever sinking world.” Lyrically they have achieved their aim, while uniting a compelling sound with subtle musical nods to the intensity of Cannibal Corpse, the groove of Obituary and the speed of At The Gates. This first track will attract many listeners to Slaughtersun and following their next steps will be an interesting journey.
Written: 29th December 2023
Fall of the Firmament is out now. Stream or buy the track on bandcamp here: https://slaughtersunnj.bandcamp.com/track/fall-of-the-firmament
Listen to it on Spotify below.