I always wonder the hard questions: what exactly does it feel like to have your faith extracted by THE extractor? Does it hurt? Is it dramatic? Does it share any similarities to the spine rip scene in Predator? Burning questions, for sure. I don’t know and who cares. Guaranteed that Ohio born and bred Faithxtractor doesn’t care either but on their fifth full length Loathing & The Noose it sounds as though all hope and faith are gone via the band’s chosen vehicle of death metal with a thirst for some downtrodden doom. So, assume extraction has begun.

All joking aside, Faithxtractor has been at it for twenty years and while they’ve seen members come and go, the core duo of Ash Thomas and Zdenka Prado have been intact the longest. The band’s first three albums showcased a penchant for the extreme side of whiplash ready death metal and a huge knack for catchy riffs. But, that’s about it and those efforts in totality were vanilla at best. Not a knock but if I like a specific brand of coffee and a new one comes along that is just the same but with different branding, chances are high I’ll try it but will stick to my original brand. There was just not enough in that trifecta to stand out or be memorable. Then came 2023’s Contempt For A Failed Dimension, which broke a 5 year dry spell, and everything changed for the better. It wasn’t all breakneck death metal and it didn’t all sound exactly the same. Bits of doom and sludge were interspersed along with one of the sickest death metal guitar tones you’re likely to ever hear. This release really had a personality all its own and reminded me that really good death metal isn’t always about the speed alone.

Two years later we’ve got Loathing & The Noose which is a worthy successor and rightful next chapter to Contempt… Mainman Ash calls the contents of the album: “malice riddled grief”. And says of it, “From the music to the lyrics it’s a maelstrom of rage & melancholy exploring the many facets of this waking depression called life.” Lead off track “Noose of Being” is the ‘no-shit’ statement to his PR speak. Seconds in we’re treated to a barrage of riffs and THAT sick tone then the song catapults into hyperdrive with Ash’s garbled growls and it’s clear there’s some underlying anger and aggression being exorcised. “Fever Dream Litanies” continues the band’s trend of ultra catchy riff / cadence construction but also continues to scrape skin from ears bold enough to crank it to eleven. 

“Flooded Tombs” marks their first chance here of slowly peeling the scabs off to reveal a doom beast of epic proportions. They move at a glacial pace and do so with the same fervor and intent as they do hyper speed. It’s here they show how much growth and progression are possible in a couple year span as this is infinitely better than anything they’ve yet to lay out there for the masses and may as well be their theme song. It’s slow and methodical, much like I imagine faith being extracted from one’s soul: like a slow rising puff of smoke in a still room. Then to seemingly burn off the last wisps, the track fades out on a violent Deicide-esque note. “Caveats” is another album highlight with its slow, serpent-like tentacles that wrap their way around the darker corners Faithxtractor have to offer and squeeze the lifeblood from them. Rounding out the final tracks, I can only think about just how damn infectious and on point this whole thing is. I can’t think of a thing I’d change or a thing I don’t like about it. I assumed going in that we’d hopefully get more of the Contempt… version of the band but never assumed we’d get the BEST version.

I fully believe Loathing & The Noose is Faithxtractor’s best work to date as the tracks contained here are some of the most aggressive yet controlled they’ve ever done. There’s a patience throughout that I haven’t heard on any of their other works that really allows these songs to breathe and open up in a way befitting of the rage and melancholy that was the point behind it all. And, I also believe this album is the best definition of what they’ve been about since day one. It just took them 20 years to get there. Which, so what. Welcome, I say. It’s not perfect and it’s not groundbreaking but it is an outstanding effort that reminds me of why I love extreme music in the first place and will stand as a huge WIN for a band that is long overdue.

— Josh

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Loathing & The Noose will be available January 10 on Redefining Darkness Records. For more information on Faithxtractor, visit their Facebook and Instagram pages.