BAND: FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE (ITALY) GENRE: TECHNICAL/SYMPHONIC/DEATH GRIND METAL LABEL: NUCLEAR BLAST RELEASE DATE(S): 8/9/2011 (NORTH AMERICA) and 8/19/2011 (EUROPEAN UNION) PREVIOUS RELEASES (CATALOG):DEMO (2007), DA VINCI DEATH CODE (2008-NEUROTIC RECORDS),ORACLES (2009-WILLOWTIP/CANDLELIGHT RECORDS), MAFIA (2010-WILLOWTIP/CANDLELIGHT RECORDS) BEST RELEASE: ORACLES (2009)
FLESGHGOD APOCALYPSE: AGONY TRACKLISTING:
1. Temptation 2. The Hypocrisy 3. The Imposition 4. The Deceit 5. The Violation 6. The Egoism 7. The Betrayal 8. The Forsaking 9. The Oppression 10. Agony. Heartwork (CARCASS Cover – iTunes Exclusive Bonus Track)
ITP V.09 REVIEW OF FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE "ORACLES": http://spak-individualthoughtpatterns.blogspot.com/2009/10/itp-review-fleshgod-apocalypse-oracles.html
ITP RATING: ***
PRODUCTION: ***
SONGWRITING: **1/2
PERFORMANCE: ***
Italian symphonic death/grinders FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE have unleashed "Agony". FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE have released three brilliant records (one on NEUROTIC RECORDS and two on WILLOWTIP) as the band recently raised their profile and inked a deal with NUCLEAR BLAST.
FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE can best be described as a tight grind band with symphonic and sometimes operatic elements. Within previous releases, FLESHGOD APOCALYPSEs symphonic elements were subtle as the band forged ahead with tight, head spinning grind. The tables have turned, as the most recent pair of FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE releases (MAFIA and AGONY) feature symphonic (and operatic) elements as almost primary instrumentation. Think FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE=CRYPTOPSY VS. DIMMU BORGIR.
FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE's "Agony" opens with the instrumental track "Temptation", ominous and with subtle operatic vocals in the background, a symphony orchestral piece creeps in, dramatic, and pretentious.
FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE's "The Hypocrisy" segues in with brutal blastbeats, barking death grind vocals and complex symphony orchestration. "The Hypocrisy" features death, and clean vocals (sung well via Cristiano Tronfera: inevitable ICS VORTEX-EX DIMMU BORGIR comparisons) at 1:33 as the only thing remotely interesting in this tune. However, FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE's drummer Francesco Paoli is killing it and carrying this band, and he's not even consistently blasting.
FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE's "The Imposition" segues in with nothing really interesting here, no riff changes, just blasting over pretentious symphony orchestration. That indeed is the problem, the riffs aren't defined, swallowed whole by a pretentious, programmed orchestra, I can barely hear rhythm guitars, and there are no defined riffs nor substantial songwriting.
FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE "The Deceit" blasts in with more of the same and clean vocals at 1:18 and chugging in rhythm to orchestral arrangements until boredom as the tune pics up the pace at 3:50.
FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE's jolts you awake with the orchestral intro to "The Violation" as the tune is well done. Perfect symphony orchestration, slowly picking up the pace until the band blasts in tight. The symphony orchestration is simple, and stronger on "The Violation" with clean vocals (3:33) and lightly sprinkled keyboards. I can see young metal heads eating this tune up.
FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE "The Egoism" kicks in with orchestral arrangements in the back round, but the band never takes center stage, not much effort regarding brutality or riffs. At 3:15 "The Egoism" features a quality if not over bearing opera singer. :rolls eyes: Yeah, opera singer.
Again, if the "Egoism" featured good songwriting, and quality riffs, only then FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE could get away with an "opera singer" as perhaps a break from relentless brutality.
FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE kicks in with "The Betrayal" and swirling, orchestral, arrangements, interesting enough as it's not so much the guitars are buried in the mix, the guitars are submissive with no substance.
FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE's "The Forsaking" invokes black metal vocal sty lings and keyboards, ala DIMMU BORGIR. Lame and boring tune.
FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE "The Oppression" blasts in full force with complex, symphony orchestration and whiny clean vocals, a slightly heavier tune, as again, then guitars a muted in the background with no defined riffs. "The Oppression" at 2:13 becomes marginally interesting with the insane blast beats and staccato symphony orchestration. In the end, there is NO SUBSTANCE to this mess, just blast beats over electronic, symphony orchestration and a piano solo, ala DIMMU BORGIR as the comparisons are inevitable.
FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE ends this release with the title track "Agony", a boring neo classical piano piece, similar to the title track of FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE's last release "Mafia".
It is best to listen to FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE's "Agony" as ONE PIECE of music as one track segues into another.
I understand why bands like DIMMU BORGIR, with over saturated keyboards and symphonic stylings are popular within the mall goth/mall core crowd all though they lack the necro "troo" styling of black metal. FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE's stylistic similarities to DIMMU BORGIR is the very reason why I'm disappointed with FLESHGOD Apocalypse's "Agony".
FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE replaced the hyper grind with a programmed symphony orchestra as guitars are muted in the back round, with no defined riffs, and no substance to songwriting. That's too bad, as FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE's 2009 release "Oracle" was a perfect balance, favoring intense, brutal hyper grind, with the minimal of symphony styling as just a cheeky way of picking your self off the floor after FLESHGOD's hyper, blast brutality.
This brings to question, are FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE all that original of a band to begin with? When FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE grind, they sound like Mike Disalvo era CRYPTOPSY. When FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE go symphonic and operatic, they sound like a LESS BRUTAL, and tamer DIMMU BORGIR.
If FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE minimized and wrote better symphonic arrangments, used guitars and defined riffs to emphasize classical elements, I would find that musical concept more interesting.. Symphonic (and operatic) elements as primary instrumentation on FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE's releases, meh, it aint interesting as the band relies too heavily on the symphony arrangments, as opposed to brutal grind. The irony, is I did like the clean singing of FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE vocalist Cristiano Tronfera as perhaps the clean vocals are over used, but are of great quality.
Yeh, people hate on DIMMU BORGIR, but ya gotta admit, the guitars are higher in the mix on DIMMU BORGIR's last few recordings with good and redundant thrash riffs and real a symphony as perhaps DIMMU BORGIR performs this symphonic style better. ITP's author is not always against classical, jazz and symphonic arrangements as I LOVED the SUNN O))) release "Monoliths and Dimensions" as the wonderous horn and organic jazz arrangments made that release a classic. I like THERION as the bands material is of substsance and the classical arrrangements are epic.
However, I'm still headbanging to FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE's "Oracle" as the bands latest release "Agony" should fit perfectly within the SEPTIC FLESH, DIMMU BORGIR crowd of disorganized misanthropy.
Style over substance, FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE are way more talented than this symphonic gimmick will allow them to be and knowing that after listening to ORACLES, I give them 3 stars instead of 2 and half..
ITP RATING: ***
PRODUCTION: ***
SONGWRITING: **1/2
PERFORMANCE: ***
Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-
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