Fallujah’s forthcoming release The Flesh Prevails might be the most hotly anticipated death metal release for the rest of 2014. The Bay Area quartet impressed us with their 2011 album The Harvest Wombs, but it was their 2013 EP Nomadic (streaming here), in just three songs, that really bowled us over — as it did pretty much everyone else — and put Fallujah on the map as a true force in modern metal. And so it is that The Flesh Prevails comes with great anticipation: can Fallujah take what they did on Nomadic and extrapolate it into an entire album? Will they continue their evolution into modern proggy death metal heroes?

If “Sapphire” is any indication, the answer is a hearty “yes” to all of the above. There’s so much going on here that it’ll take a few listens to really sink in; ambient keyboards, layered background vocals, meaty riffs, expertly crafted leads, and incredibly strong melodies all mashed into one dynamic, absolute beast of a song. Stream it below, and pre-order The Flesh Prevails in a variety of configurations and packages here before its release on July 22 via Unique Leader Records.

The album was mixed, mastered and engineered by Zach Ohren (Animosity, Suffocation, All Shall Perish) at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, California over the course of a few months and features guest appearances from Christian Muenzner (Obscura, Necrophagist) and the voice of Roniit Alkayam. The cover artwork was a collaborative effort between Poland’s Tomasz Alen Kopera and the band’s vocalist, Alex Hofmann.