Metal Mondays: Fleshgod Apocalypse

I've said it before and I'll say it again, there aren't enough symphonic death bands. There's Septic Flesh, uh... Eternal Tears of Sorrow? Ex Deo? Maybe Wintersun depending on how loose your definition of death metal is. That was until this great Italian band came along!

Fleshgod Apocalypse
Country: Italy
Genre: Symphonic Death Metal

Fleshgod is a very interesting band. I have no idea what their name is supposed to mean or how the band managed to explode onto the scene. They've only been around since 2007, releasing their first full-length in 2009, and I've already heard of them! How great is that? They must be pretty proud of themselves. Though as a band with a unique sound like theirs, it's hard to stay unnoticed.

Fleshgod's first album, Oracles, was a standard brutal death affair. It was alright, but I don't listen to too much straight-up death and Benighted already did what they were trying to do better. Perhaps it has some of the elements that make Agony so awesome, but I haven't spent much time with the album nor have any desire to, so I'm not sure. Agony, however, combines the unrelenting death with a wonderful symphonic score. The two sounds are so different, yet compliment each other so nicely. And they have audible blast beats! They're such a rarity that it always pleases me when I can actually hear the snare being violently beaten. Most bands have drummers where you can only hear the cymbal being hit, completely defeating the purpose of a blast beat. Not so is the case here.

Why is every picture of them in suits?

The only thing that stands out like a sore thumb is the singing bassist. It worked with Dimmu, it worked with Nightwish, but it just hurts the music in Fleshgod Apocalypse. Paolo Rossi isn't a bad singer by any means, it's just that he can get very high pitched. The whole thing just distracts from the rest of the song and doesn't really add anything. In some songs it's alright (The Hypocrisy), but in others it just gets annoying (The Violation). I'm sure it could turn out well in future albums, but some work needs to be done at better incorporating his voice into the songs.

All in all, Fleshgod Apocalypse is a very interesting and unique band. Check them out if you want something different or just want to hear some brutality.


-Zombie Viking