As is the case for all of us, life can very easily heed any and all progress in the journey of any musician or band. It’s the bane of progress in many instances, but it is something that can offer so much change and evolution as long as there are those that are willing to take advantage of such an opportunity and show both listeners and themselves what they can still become if they don’t allow the wearing of time to bog them down. Six years is more than enough time for things to go wrong, especially these past six years, but rather than letting it be the end of an era, Façade rises in defiance to push themselves and their sound further.

A comeback of any kind is a monumental effort for both bands and fans as it offers the continuation of something that very easily could’ve become lost for one reason or another, and it is absolute joy to witness the return of Façade. It was their particular brand of colorful post-doom that allowed their last work, 2019’s “The Eternal Dance”, to take on a life of its own and become a fascinating piece in the overarching scene. Now, six years later, Façade offers us a continuation of what was laid forth in that work that’s taking bold steps forward while simultaneously taking the time to look back and remind themselves of where they started and came from. “Radiant” has but two tracks to call its own, but it more than lives up to its name. Rather than a vastly different approach to what they were doing before, it’s in the nuance of “Radiant” where their new direction truly shines with its exceptional sense of dynamic heaviness and ethereal touches that do more than just offer a mild contrasting sound. From top to bottom, this is an EP that offers a lot of punch in hardly no time at all. Façade does a tremendous job at setting the stage for what’s to come eventually with the very reality of “Radiant” is what aspiration looks like in the aural form with Façade more than up to the task.

While I could understand anyone not seeing much significance in an EP that has only one new track and a re-recording, but Façade is not the type of band that makes a move without making damn sure that there’s plenty of weight behind their decisions. “Radiant” marks the return of a magnificent representation of Dutch doom in a way that not many others are able to embody with the future fittingly bright when this work is taken into great consideration as it rightfully deserves. Offering a lot in just over fourteen minutes, Façade makes its mark known and leaves a damn good impression when it’s all said and done.

LISTEN to “Radiant” on Bandcamp here.

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