The Italian masterminds of symphonic death metal FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE are back with their fifth full-length release "Veleno". On "Veleno" (Italian for venom), the band changed their approach (and pace). To achieve this FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE distanced themselves from any distraction (eg. linesup changes, tours, etc.), and let their inspiration flow freely. The result is a masterpiece like "Veleno", the mature sounding album this band has put out up-to-date. "Veleno" is set out for 24 May 2019 through Nuclear Blast.

Aggressive, fast, but beautifully crafted with a symphonically charged, complex sound, FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE already in the first minute of "Fury", shows us what they have in store for us. No smooth buildup, no intro track that lasts too long. The Italians go straight into business. "Fury" has full-blown blast beats, fast riffs, and integrates a threatening piano. Though piano and orchestrations are a big part of the music and sometimes even highlight the aggression of each track, they don't take the focus away from the complex nature of the music. Several tracks continue in the same way, such as "Sugar" (which by the way also had an insanely good music video), and "Pissing on the Score". 

"Carnivorous Lamb" has a surprising intro, which leans into the realm of melodic death metal. My favorite of the album however, "Monnalisa", slow in the verses, transitions into epic, and huge choruses, and has so much layers, you wouldn't even know where to start counting them. Another highlight of the album is "The Day We'll Be Gone", which features a beautiful soprano duet, and might be the closest thing to a ballad.

When not familiar with the band, you could perceive FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE's music easily as a cacophony of elements, that might not necessarily fit together. This chaos however, should be perceived more as organized chaos, it still pertains to what the core of death metal is, but at the same time managed to create a beautiful atmosphere of grandiosity. Memorable riffs, intricate orchestrations, and the high tempos, make that this album is truly one of the best death metal releases of 2019. 

Tracklist