In Becoming a Ghost

Released in 2017 after a five-year hiatus, In Becoming a Ghost represents a significant stylistic pivot for The Faceless. While maintaining the technical death metal foundation established on Akeldama and Planetary Duality, this record leans heavily into the 'progressive' and 'avant-garde' elements introduced on Autotheism. It is the first album to feature Ken Sorceron (Abigail Williams) on vocals, whose blackened rasp provides a grittier counterpoint to Michael Keene's increasingly prominent, vocoder-processed clean singing. The production is characteristically surgical, handled by Keene himself, but introduces new textures like Drop A tuning and acoustic instrumentation, most notably the flute. The inclusion of a Depeche Mode cover ('Shake the Disease') signals the album's industrial and darkwave influences. Despite a turbulent lineup history, the record was a critical success, praised for its willingness to subvert genre tropes and its dense, cinematic songwriting.