By Ola Mazzuca
What sounds like a cross between the scores of ancient warrior to giallo film makes Agony is a true treat of theatric technical death metal where a symphonic tone blankets high pitched vocals and lots of tremolo picking.
Fleshgod Apocalypse are Romanos that don’t hesitate to dive into their battlefield of blastbeats on openers “The Hypocrisy” and “The Imposition”, which follows without transitions, making focus rather chaotic despite talents showcased by drummer Francesco Paoli and vocalist Tommaso Riccardi.
Mirroring track title choices by pulling a move like the Haunted did on The Dead Eye, the record is conceptual with its dark demeanor on “The Egoism”, covering mandatory elements of death metal with some Italian lyrics for flare. “The Forsaking” is undoubtedly the contrast piece, with heavy piano and an orchestral layer.
The approach Fleshgod Apocalypse take to succeed in an extremely intricate sub-genre is successful as they combine balance, precision and experimentation for an intriguing listen that pushes past a world of concepts already tackled. Check out their great cover of the Carcass classic, “Heartwork”, as a bonus on iTunes.
(Nuclear Blast)
