Review FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE “Opera”

I just finished listening to the solo debut of Simone Simons before moving on to the latest release from Italian metallers Fleshgod Apocalypse and in a way it felt like a logical continuation as their new album starts off in a dramatic fashion.

“Opera” is the title of Fleshgod Apocalypse’s latest effort, which begins with a classic opening song called “Ode to Art (De’ Sepolcri)”. It is the first song of an album that is structured like a 10 act play.

It took a while for the band to come up with a new album, which has to do with the dark period called pandemic, but also a mountain climbing accident of Francesco Paoli put things on hold longer than expected. During the healing and recovery process the inspiration for “Opera” grew. as the album deals with the journey from a near-death experience to a state of renewal and rebirth.

It is a story of pain, anger and frustration, but also includes hope as a key ingredient for moving forward.

The way the album is structured is reminiscent of traditional Italian classical music theater, while the songs are driven by the harsh symphonic death metal the band is known for. What adds to the intensity of the story is the shared vocals, moments when Paoli’s guttural singing interacts with the clean vocals of Veronica Bordacchini. This contrast gives the album a special dynamic and adds an extra entertaining factor to the whole. A song that reflects this in a good way is the dramatic “Bloodclock”, a track you shouldn’t miss.

But also the already mentioned cinematic intro is sung by Bordacchini, which shows her enormous talent and what she is able to do with her classically trained voice.

Anger and rage are the driving forces behind the blazingly fast “Morphine Waltz”, which sounds like a musical fever dream before the epic “Matricide 8.21” takes over.

It’s an anthemic moment of the album that features big melodies but still sounds heavy and majestic. After the straightforward “Morphine Waltz” it is “Matricide 8.21” that brings the cinematic approach to music to the fore.

Veronica Bordacchini’s voice as the centerpiece, combined with big soundscapes, is also the basis for “Till Death Do Us Part”.It is another theatric piece.

“Opera” picks up the spirit of “Ode to Art (De’ Sepolcri)”. It’s a piano-driven kind of outro, the final act of an album that may take a while to reveal all the details. At least it took me a while to enjoy these songs, as there is a lot going on in these 43 minutes of symphonic death metal.

“Opera” is an exciting longplayer that shows the range of possibilities that extreme metal can offer. The latest effort is Fleshgod Apocalypse’s fifth studio album, and it shows a next step in the band’s and individuals’ development – partly driven by fate and partly as a natural part of growing.