In Becoming a Ghost is the fourth studio album by The Faceless. It was released on December 1, 2017 through Sumerian Records. It is the only album with Abigail Williams'Ken Sorceron on vocals, The Zenith Passage's Justin McKinney on guitar and Chason Westmoreland, formerly of Hate Eternal, on drums. Westmoreland left the band shortly before the album was released. Soceron, McKinney, and drummer Bryce Butler would depart the band less than four months later. Michael Keene tracked the bass on the entire album by himself. This is also the first The Faceless LP to feature songs recorded with Drop A tuning using seven string guitars. It is their first full-length release in five years, the last being 2012's Autotheism. It is the band's first effort to not chart on the Billboard 200 since their debut Akeldama, though representatives from the band pointed out that the album debuted at #66 on the Top Current Albums chart, which focuses specifically on album sales, excluding streams. Per heavy metalnews site MetalInsider, the album sold 3,900 copies in its first week.
Background, recording, and promotion
In a July 2016 interview with Metal Injection, guitarist Justin McKinney stated that In Becoming a Ghost was "pretty much done". McKinney had joined in February of the same year. In April 2017 in an interview with The PRP, Keene speculated at an August release date. Only one single, "Digging the Grave" was released in promotion of the album's December release date. The first single from the album, "The Spiraling Void", from September 2015, as well as the second single, "Black Star", released over two years later in June 2017, were put out before an official release date was set for the album. "The Spiraling Void" featured Derek Rydquist on vocals. Rydquist would depart the band soon after. Prior to the announcement of the release date for the album, the band dropped off several major tours, leading many to speculate on turmoil in the band. The band's manager, E.J. Shannon, spoke out against The Faceless and specifically Keene after promoters Soundworks Touring called The Faceless "incompetent" and "unprofessional" in regards to their last-second cancelation of a tour of Australia and New Zealand alongside The Black Dahlia Murder. The band countered Shannon's statements, blaming flight delays and missing gear for the missed Australian tour. Though the band concluded their statement reassuring fans that they'd be attending their upcoming European tour, they canceled those dates soon thereafter. Though the band was booked for 2017's Summer Slaughter, they were forced to cancel the kick-off show, this time blaming drummer Chason Westmoreland's departure. Westmoreland would issue a counter statement, noting that he'd informed his bandmates of his intention to leave the band well before Summer Slaughter kicked off.
Release & reception
Metal Injection reviewer Michael Pementel gave the album 9.5/10, calling it a "magnificent work of sinister mysteries and pure artistry."
Track listing
Music written by Michael Keene, except where noted.
