Fleshgod Apocalypse - Labyrinth (2013)

Perhaps it's just old age catching up with me, but I think it telling that Fleshgod Apocalypse's substantial third full-length album Labyrinth gave me a headache within about 10 minutes of the grandiose intro to "Kingborn". Funny enough, so did their last album. A few Tylenol later, I was armed and ready to return, and after giving this more of a chance, I found that I could appreciate it ever so slightly more than Agony. While they are still insistent on performing this symphonic re-branding of their debut Oracles (good stuff), I felt like at least this time they did a superior job of mixing the synthesizers in with the rhythm guitars, and created a greater depth of maniacal Mozartsian brutality. That's not to say that this is a step up or a step down in terms of songwriting, or not even remotely as unique as some will make it out to be, but as more or less a hybrid of Sigh's Hangman's Hymn, Septic Flesh's last three records, and Death Cult Armageddon-era Dimmu Borgir, it's at least functional.

The problem is, like with the last album, that a lot of focus here is on playing as quickly and intensely as possible with no regards to catchy rhythm guitars or truly brilliant dynamic shifts, and that's why it retains a sense of 'faux orchestration', like someone fast-forwarding an old black & white artillery march set to Wagner in an incessant loop of crescendo. Exciting in small chunks, but exhausting and uninteresting in the longer run. Probably a good eight of ten riffs, and about half the keyboards immediately depart the memory after entering, and so the listener is generally left to stand 'blown away' by the speed of the drumming and the spastic, spasming energy of the colliding and contrasted choirs and 'strings' flying around everywhere. But I wont' fault Fleshgod Apocalypse for not trying here. This isn't just a straight blasting migraine, they actually do embed the 54 minute track list with some versatility. There are a few 'breathers' among them, like the acoustic "Prologue" and the dramatic piano finale "Labyrinth", but I do wish they had come a little earlier in the run time. They also divvy up the importance of the orchestration and methodic guitar picking here, so while "Warpledge" might rely very heavily on the girly operatic screams and choirs over its raging substrata of kick drums, other tunes have plenty of surgical riffing harmonies.

But the intensity is a constant, and often a nuisance. We don't really feel like we're being allowed to travel on this journey of splendor and terror through Greek mythology, but rather, we're being kicked along, like by a cadre of annoying, bullying, brutal death metal ushers in a theater. 'You done with that popcorn yet?' 'Let me have those candy wrappers.' 'Shut up and LISTEN to the fuckin' choirs!' 'No making out in the theater!' 'This is the good part, now move along, nothing more to see here.' Any time I think they're on to some tasty flight of strings or pianos, or a delicious riff pops up through the surging bombardment, it's gone in a flash and I find it irrevocably frustrating. I won't doubt that many hours went into sharpening Labyrinth, crafting the densest and busiest recording imaginable, but when at the end of the day it sounds like Dethklok paying homage to Virgin Steele, I can't really give credence to this pushing the boundaries of 'extremity' like so many fans of Agony decried. And I'm not saying that as some crusty vest-metal advocate who defies everything that sounds like it came out after 1993 because it doesn't fit into my carefully-cultivated self image; I enjoy quite a lot of modern, triggered clinical tech death and always will. This has all been done: Fleshgod is simply filling in what few blanks remained in the phrasing, with symphonic overkill.

So, what DID I like about Labyrinth? Well, for one, considering just how fucking much is happening here, I was impressed that I could make out almost all of the details. Francesco Paoli, as usual, is a goddamned bull. Don't get me wrong, he's a 'mechanical bull', inhuman, and very likely to side with Skynet once our robotic overlords come to prominence, but if I were to watch this guy perform I'd have to untangle my jaw from my shoelaces. Meticulous, brickwork blasting and untiring kicks everywhere, I just don't see drummers going further than this without cybernetic implants. That's not to say the beats are interesting, they're really just setting the pace for the sum shitstorm of Labyrinth's components, but that he's incredibly driven and talented is impossible to deny. The soaring lead harmonies, where they appear, are also like a spike of sunshine parting the turbulent storm-clouds of orchestrated excess, rays of 'class' amongst the barrage of cheese. The screaming, wannabe King Diamond vocals here are consistently irritating, but hey, at least they try and break up the monotony of stock growls that, while loud, are nothing all that special. The bass lines are probably sick, but they blend in too well against the rhythm guitars and I often lose them altogether...

Ugh. I wanted to like this so much more than I did. Labyrinth might not be the most unique choice of Greek mythological concepts, but I think the lyrics are handled with some passion and knowledge of the subject matter. Minos, Daedelus, Icarus, they're quite thorough with this little subsection of the lore, even throwing in a reference to Procrustes the Stretcher. Not to mention, the title alone seems to gel well with Fleshgod Apocalypse's style, because there's much to traverse and pick apart here, even if most of the riffing ideas wind up at dead ends like Asterion's maze. 54 minutes is quite long here, and the flow of the record would have been bettered served with a piece like "Labyrinth" earlier in the roster, but then, this is not something I'm going to find myself listening to in its entirety very often (if ever). 1-2 tracks I can stomach, but even then there are few which really deserve the attention. Despite the sheer magnitude of the Italians' efforts and capabilities, I always had the feeling I was headed somewhere but never arriving. I guess that's the point of a 'labyrinth', to trap the aspirant into a sense of claustrophobic, unending dread, but unfortunately there's no aural ball of string, no Theseus to give us the comeuppance, the payoff all this chugging, banging and sweeping calamity deserves.

Verdict: Indifference [6.5/10] (for I will slay the shame of Crete)

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Fleshgod Apocalypse - Agony (2011)

While the comparison is likely not one that death mavens will really appreciate, I feel that the Fleshgod Apocalypse sophomore Agony has very much in common with the past few works of the divisive Norwegian band Dimmu Borgir. The Italians initially hit it big with their 2009 debut Oracles, a forceful and competent work of semi-technical death somewhere between their countrymen Hour of Penance and Poland's Behemoth in execution, before adding some minor symphonic elements on their underwhelming Mafia EP that showed the roots of a new direction. With Agony, the expanded lineup has transformed into an all out blast of symphonic death, also expanding their vocal array to include manic, cleaner tones alongside the predictable gutturals, and some female vox for a slightly schizoid atmosphere

The obvious ambition here is not at all reproachable, but like the aforementioned Dimmu Borgir and their latest Abrahadabra, Agony is another example of too much effort reaping too little reward. The sheer technical ability of the Italians is enormous, in particular the robotic fortitude of the drummer, blasting and filling on the drop of a dime as if it were an effortless spectacle of human machinery. The vocals are admittedly rather dull, never offering anything of worth or interest but typical, layered growls that we've heard a thousand times or more before. No 'agony', no weight, and certainly nothing memorable there, even when the cleans open the asylum gates. The production here feels a little forced, in particular the symphonic elements, which are largely straightforward Wagnerian charges accompanying the vapid selection of guitar riffs which serve nothing else but the actual rhythmic momentum of each track. There are some clinical muted sequences in tunes like "The Imposition" that seem as if they'd stand out more without the orchestral backdrop, but it's all so rushed and inconsequential that I had a difficult time remembering even a single guitar line for the majority of the album...

In fact, I found myself eagerly awaiting each bridge sequence, to alleviate the monotonous surge of steamrolling that the band mistakes for actual aggression. Almost all of the core conceptual songs outside of "The Egoism" and "The Forsaking" seem to pull the same trick, with those exceptions simply slowing the pace. Concrete battering rams of an empty, eloquent flourish borne solely of the orchestration, heavy only in the level of volume and the thudding in your ear, with nary as single diabolic moment of composition that TRULY feels a menace. Granted, the prior album Oracles never exactly manifested such moments itself, but I still enjoyed that album for what it was: modernized European death metal with 40 minutes of solid entertainment and headbanging. Instead, this is more like a symphonic Dethklok alternative, and none of the additions to the backbone of the debut work in its favor: not the sweeping, tiresome symphony ingredients, the trendy female vocals, or the passive-aggressive writing.

I'm not opposed to the idea of orchestration in death or black metal. Bands like Hollenthon, Therion, Sigh and Septic Flesh have pulled it off magnificently in the past, due largely to their ability to actually compose unforgettable material, rather than ride the 'novelty' of the instrumentation. But this is more like one of those trite 'look Ma, no hands' efforts in extremity, a cavalcade of boring guitar riffs glossed over with the string sections, pianos and so forth, failing to breech an additional dimension of sound. Even the cover art is weak. Style over substance. Every Metalocalypse-stoked ADD kid's dream. So much going on, but so little of value. So much musculature over such a frail skeletal frame.

Verdict: Indifference [5.75/10]

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Fleshgod Apocalypse - Mafia EP (2010)

Similar to their fellow Italian death metal act Hour of Penance, who have even shared some of the same lineup, Fleshgod Apocalypse, have made a huge splash upon the worldwide underground death market for their combination of highly presentable studio presentation, technical wherewithal and punishing, dynamic composition. Much like the behemoth squid on the cover of this EP writhes its tentacles through an angry sea, Mafia seeks to quickly follow last year's debut Oracles as a statement of solidarity, a proof positive that lightning can strike twice and that Fleshgod plans on an ensuing series of electrical storms that penetrate the dense, earthy crust of the death metal fan's robust skull.

The use of 'behemoth' in that opening paragraph was not an accident, because the opening moments of "Thru Our Scars" immediately bring to mind the better known Polish band, who also have staked their fame on a similar, modern excess of fast paced death metal embellishment with no lack of atmospheric content. You'll also be reminded of Hate Eternal, and by logical extension Morbid Angel, but Fleshgod goes all out with blasting fury to try and push beyond this point. I personally liked the little flourishes here as with the brief inclusion of female vocals and the spicy classical lead break in the bridge, but otherwise its just a wall of force that impedes upon the gravity of the listener without truly conspiring to create memorable riffing. This holds true to my feelings for their debut Oracles: monumental production, great musicians and enough aggression to blow a barn door off, like a tornado, but beyond a half hour of ass handing they don't really write much for the long term reflection.

But then, the end of this track swells with subverted melodies that lead into the rolling, double bass barricade of "Abyssal", which is slightly superior in the riffing, a flurry of chaos like the breaking of the waters on the EP's cover, something sinister just beneath with its gaze focused upon you and the separation of your limbs. It's not perfect, but there's a good lead here and its overall more exciting, despite the slower pace. "Conspiracy of Silence" is back to the blasting, an Italian advancement upon the tried extremity of Hate Eternal or the more excessive Polish bands like Vader and Hate. The drums are disgusting, the dark, melodic weaving of the guitars welcome, but otherwise the brickhouse blasted riffs are quite forgettable. "Mafia" is a piano piece sans vocals, which is actually a nice closure to the album thought it bears no real connection to the original death metal works. Also present is a cover of At the Gates' "Blinded by Fear", from their seminal Slaughter of the Soul. The Italians hack away at it, making it faster and perhaps more repulsive, but without the patented Lindberg snarling, its just not the same.

In all, Mafia presents about 17 minutes of new, modern, brutal death metal which should have the feathers of the bands inherent fanbase in a ruffle, though to my ears, there is not all that much impressive about it. The drumming is a whirlwind, the guitars occasionally offering a nice taste of something catchy, but despite its high level of polish, there were very few moments at which my neck started to break, and when you've got a death metal record, you've either got to provide the eerie old school atmosphere or a truly mesmerizing vortex of guitar lines. I'm afraid this doesn't possess either before a few errant, classically-influenced phrases, and since there is so little meat on the bones to begin with, its not required listening.

Verdict: Indifference [6.5/10]

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Fleshgod Apocalypse - Oracles (2009)

Fleshgod Apocalypse are an explosive technical death metal act from Italy who have wisely chosen to sign with Willowtip for distribution of their first full-length release (Candlelight in EU). This was an excellent decision for all parties because their brand of choppy blasting, swift lead precision and tech stomping will undoubtedly create salivation among the many US fans of tech deathcore (Job for a Cowboy) and brutal death (Cryptopsy, Necrophagist, Suffocation, etc). Oracles is a good album, because despite their obvious ability to create sickening pit grooves or noodle off into arpeggios at any turn, they focus on what's most important to this style: the creation of bewildering, grinding and winding riffs that can hold the attention of the death metal purist through the creation of a caustic and blood pumping environments.

This isn't to say Fleshgod Apocalypse are very original or that Oracles is a masterpiece. It contains a lot of what we expect to hear: mute chugs for moshing, mute to squeal riffs, and average brutal grunts. But their use of chants and classical interludes between the tracks is a nice touch, and they incorporate enough hyper melody into the mix to keep each track interesting. They also focus on occult and philosophic lyrics rather than the all too common gore and perversion. As far as specific tracks, there aren't many that stand out from the remainder. The album is consistent in quality. I might give a specific nod to "Post-Enlightenment Executioner" for its killer song title and really laying the smackdown or "Infection of the White Throne" for the frenetic pace and cavorting melodies, but if you like any one track here you are going to like them all.

Oracles sounds fully functional, though the bass is often lost under the punishing chug/blast combo. Drummer/guitarist Francesco Paoli is also a member of Hour of Penance, another good Italian death metal outfit (in particular for The Vile Conception) and he excels behind the kit. There is a high caliber of talent in all of the musicians, and I'd easily recommend this album to fans of Severed Savior or The Faceless who have both recently released great tech death.

Verdict: Win [8/10]

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