Light This City have returned with 'Facing The Thousand'. Not since Arch Enemy's 'Wages of Sin' has an extreme metal band with a female vocalist been this enjoyable, or convincing for that matter. This album is basically everything that 'Remains Of The Gods' wasn't, from the amazing melodic guitar work, to the sick vocal performance courtesy of Laura Nichol,  that is at times reminiscent of Dani Filth at his demonic best ('Cruelty' era CoF).  

What automatically sets this album apart are the song structures. 'Remains Of The Gods' was little more than a Carcass worship album. The band sounded more like a Jr. version of The Black Dahlia Murder attempting to sound like the aforementioned Grindcore/Melodic Death Metal Pioneers Carcass. On 'Facing The Thousand', the addition of Maiden-esque melodies and the right amount of groove has taken Light This City to another level entirely.

The Black Dahlia Murder's Trevor Strnad makes a guest appearance on "Fear Of Heights", which only adds to the overall brutality of the album. The guitar work on this album truly cannot be ignored, as both Brian Forbes and Steve Hoffman are more than capable of crafting melodies that can rival that of the genre's best, including In Flames and Arch Enemy. There is no reason that this album shouldn't be considered an instant classic, especially given the fact that this is only the band's second full length.

Apparently, having a full band has made quite a difference for Light This City. In a matter of a year and a half, with alot of touring under their belts, Light This City has become a major force to be reckoned with. The songs are much more mature, and they have finally managed to stepped out of the shadows of their influences, and lay claim to a space amongst the most elite in the melodic death metal genre.

This album has that special quality of being undeniably memorable, which is something to be proud of at a time when most new bands have nothing to bring to the table but rehashed riffing, and tired aggro vocals.Where the last album was almost completely forgettable, 'Facing The Thousand' should have you wanting to play it over and over again.