ALBUM REVIEW: Veleno – Fleshgod Apocalypse

Though symphonic death metal is a sub-genre not uncommon in Northern Europe, FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE‘s blend of punishing, technical death metal and classical orchestration has created a unique sound, far removed from their Scandinavian brothers. With the loss of founding guitarist Cristiano Trionfera and long-serving front man Tommaso Riccardi, creative driving force Francesco Paolini was forced to shake up the creation process for their newest offering, Veleno. Previously, he has said the band have “never recorded a single note without being 100% sure it was the right one.” This time around, the band wrote and collected material during the King album cycle, writing only at their most inspired, and allowing for a more natural, free flowing process. Is this new writing method for the band the key ingredient for FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE to push to the next level?

Fury opens Veleno in a thunderous fashion, immediately hitting the listener like a freight train before Veleno‘s lead singles – Carnivorous Lamb and Sugar, bring in a dose of the cinematic. Carnivorous Lamb has a touch of a blackened atmosphere – though subtly done and not overpowering the signature “FLESHGOD” sound – and it’s the first taste the listener gets of bassist Paolo Rossi‘s clean vocals as he trades chorus lines with Paolini. Meanwhile, Sugar might just be the strongest single of FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE‘s career, maintaining the brutality they are known for while creating absolutely mammoth hooks, and the orchestration throughout is stunning. It’s not hard to imagine all kinds of mosh-pit violence when the crushing pre-chorus of “Push! Push! Push! Push! I want to see you push!” comes bellowing from the stage.

The Praying Mantis Strategy serves as a brief interlude, building into one of Veleno‘s wildcards, Monnalisa. Easily one of the most restrained and melodic songs in the whole back catalogue of FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE, Monnalisa is a risky move that pays off. Almost tranquil verses led by Gothic vocals build up to a huge chorus, where Paolini‘s gutturals are accompanied by the choir who led The Praying Mantis Strategy, and the track builds to a wonderful closing couple of minutes with solo work from Paolini leading into Veronica Bordacchini‘s gorgeous-as ever-soprano, which in turn leads into a beautiful piano section led by resident pianist Francesco Ferrini. As the keys still, the full weight of the chorus comes crashing in one last time, ending Monnalisa in glorious fashion.

Despite its four-and-a-half minute run time, Worship & Forget seems to whirlwind by in a flurry of chaos as Paolini and co. prove that despite their experimentation, they can deliver brutality better than most, while Absinthe again showcases the band’s taste for the cinematic. Ferrini takes the lead in Pissing On The Score, again showcasing just how strong FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE have become. Hooks and subtle flourishes lay scattered throughout the track creating a strong sense of memorability amid the crushing brutality. If you thought the restrained melody of Monnalisa was a ballsy move, The Day We’ll Be Gone will floor you. Ferrini again takes command here, accompanied solely by Bordacchini for much of the track, with orchestration gradually coming into play alongside Paolini and the more traditional death metal elements later on the song. Melancholy drips from every note, and the emotional weight behind The Day We’ll Be Gone is incredible, contributing to what is the most beautiful song on Veleno.

Following such a soft, heartfelt song, Embrace The Oblivion could be expected to ease into the aggression. But as they’ve proven, FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE pay no heed to exceptions. Embrace The Oblivion crashes in with gladiatorial force, proving to be one of the more old-school death metal influenced tracks on Veleno. The orchestration brings that grandiose, cinematic feel back into the fore, while the band bring the buzzsaw riffing and classic aural savagery. Veleno‘s title track closes the album, the short, piano led piece serving as the album’s climatic moment.

For much of their discography, it would be fair to describe FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE as a musical form of blunt force trauma. While the symphonic and operatic elements of their sound gave them a sense of a unique identity, the death metal elements were unrelenting, rarely deviating from anything else than a tsunami of constant sonic brutality. With Veleno, we see the Italians take a step forward, showing a stronger ear for songwriting. The shake up in the creation process has allowed Paolini and co to keep the inspiration at a maximum, and the end result is truly astounding. Veleno is far and away the most natural and inspired of the band’s back catalogue, showing them at their most mature and at the apex of their creativity thus far. The experimentation here has paid off fantastically, leaving FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE are in a stronger position than ever to claim their place in the top tier of modern metal outfits.

Rating: 9/10

Veleno is set for release May 24th via Nuclear Blast Records. 

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