“Defeating death forever, Immortal you’ll become.”
Fleshgod Apocalypse are no obscure secret for lovers of the heavy and the classy; They’ve spent the good part of the last decade or so pioneering a fusion of extreme metal with classical elements that fans have come to crave – whether you’ve been a fan since the beginning or jumped aboard the hype train upon hit song “The Violation” becoming a Clone Hero sensation, it’s undeniable that the band have left their mark on heavy music. However, Fleshgod have seen their fair share of trial and tribulation in recent years, whether it’s the recent departure of bassist and backing vocalist Paolo Rossi, or perhaps lead vocalist and current bassist Francesco Paoli’s life-threatening rock climbing incident in August of 2021, which left him partially paralysed. In spite of this as well as fuelled by it, the band have presented us with a new full-length in the form of Opera: their first album offering in just over five years.
As we wind up the music box, Opera opens up slowly and with grace through “Ode to Art (De’ Sepolcri)” – The dejected weeps of Francesco Ferrini’s grand piano woefully introduce operatic vocalist Veronica Bordacchini who wastes no time in serving the listener a hefty portion of melancholy through her operatic serenade. Over the course of two minutes the track gradually emerges out of its shell, escalating from defeatist lament into cinematic epic as Bordacchini, now accompanied by a wailing string section and a haunting chorus of ghostly backing vocals – pours her heart out vocally like a fine wine, ready to toast to the new era of Fleshgod Apocalypse.
From the ashes of Art “I Can Never Die” is revealed: which serves as the perfect explosive return for Paoli & Co – boasting ballistic beats and scintillating symphonic scores aplenty. An evident theme that Opera as an album heavily pushes to borderline concept album levels is the art of a near death experience, along with the healing and eventual rebirth that comes after such an event; Whilst omnipresent throughout, this sentiment is at its most obvious during our trio of singles “I Can Never Die” “Pendulum” and “Bloodclock” which lyrically give us our most potent taste of the band’s new-found spite for the Grim Reaper inspired by and often directly chronicling aforementioned near-fatalities suffered by vocalist / bassist Francesco Paoli – who’s powerful first-hand account of imminent doom adds a potent level of believability to the score, accompanied always by the conceptually-integral Veronica taking on the role of various aspects and concepts close to that of life and death for Paoli to ponder as part of their feature-length duet.
“At War With My Soul” seemingly dares to recapture the essence of previous album “King” as it immediately carries itself with a particularly militaristic tone, with much emphasis on wailing brass and choral chants among aggressive, warmongering drum beats that really drive home a mental image of unrest and ongoing destruction. Delving further into the track grants us a particularly stomach-churning operatic pre-chorus and a much familiar half-time orchestral breakdown, followed by a familiar spoken monologue much akin to those heard on “Healing Through War” and “Minotaur (Wrath of Poseidon)” from previous efforts. Musically “At War With My Soul” strongly feels like a tribute to Fleshgod Apocalypse’s past discography, appealing to the longtime fan and reminiscing on the journey so far before looking firmly towards the future and what it holds for their art.
Whilst on the subject of the band’s musical past: a highlight of the Fleshgod Apocalypse sound has always been the thrilling, high-flying choruses – which would often see former member Paolo Rossi delivering a dramatic, belted clean section that provides a jolt of vitality to keep listeners enthusiastically anxious (See: “Conspiracy of Silence”, “The Violation”, “The Fool‘‘, “And The Vulture Beholds” just to name a few). Given his recent departure from the band, this responsibility is taken on by none other than Veronica; And whilst she certainly gives a more than serviceable take on this hallmark: the “edge of your seat” nature from hooks of yesteryear are sorely missed for the most part, with Bordacchini’s approach to this more often than not utilizing a far cleaner singing style which lacks urgency. One track in particular, however very closely scratches this admittedly niche itch – “Morphine Waltz” sees Veronica try out a fresh technique in which she channels a piercing, remarkably impressive reinforced falsetto layered over a more grounded octave track, alas this will be the first and also final time we hear it utilized which is a shame as this almost perfectly fills the void left by Rossi – I would dare to say that most choruses on Opera would greatly benefit from this projection. Vocal nitpicks aside “Morphine Waltz” is a highlight of the album – Fabio Bartoletti and Francesco Ferrini’s duelling guitar and piano respectively make for an addictively melodic, endlessly replayable piece that is only heightened by it’s eccentric vocal delivery.
Lead almost entirely by keys and lead (a bold move for a band revered for their dedication to the driving force of rhythm) “Matricide 8.21” is the perfect single despite not being released as such. The band show a real focus on emotional storytelling through this duet in particular, as Paoli recounts his internal pleas for his mother’s forgiveness (portrayed by Bordacchini) as he sits on the fence between life and death. Both lyrically and in execution it’s made clear just how personally distressing this specific aspect of Paoli’s incident is for the whole band, with the result being a rather touching yet energetic back and forth that notably makes great use of Ferrini’s piano as a driving force to tug on both the heartstrings and the dancing shoes simultaneously. Meanwhile “Per Aspera Ad Astra” drags us in the opposite direction, sonically – presenting a far more traditional Fleshgod Apocalypse hit that places drummer Eugene Ryabchenko on the highest of pedestals as he exhibits quite frankly cybernetic levels of blast-beatery amid dynamic, high-octane riffage and frantic barked growls.
Opera‘s swansong and our final ensemble piece, “Till Death Do Us Part” tempers the tempo and casts all eyes on Veronica as she delivers an almost entirely solo vocal performance with Francesco taking a step back, aside from backing growls for added power; And whilst Veronica has seen the spotlight as lead vocalist on a select few songs in Fleshgod‘s discography (e.g “The Day We’ll Be Gone” from “Veleno” & “Paramour (Die Leidenschaft Bringt Leiden)” from“King”), “Till Death Do Us Part” is a special case as it signifies Veronica‘s overall increased involvement and greater role as a part of the band, now the sole clean vocalist and no longer chained to exclusively operatic style singing. The hopeful ballad also serves as an updated mission statement of sorts for Fleshgod Apocalypse as a whole, that even in spite of hardships endured both personally and as a unit, they are unstoppable (“Whatever comes our way, I’m with you”). A soaring and earnest guitar solo from Fabio sends us off into the great unknown as it becomes evident our time together is coming to a close for now, the instrumental beginning to fade and crackle as if the album were just that; A record being listened to by Veronica – her gentle hums becoming gradually clearer amongst the fading music. The sudden jolt of a record scratch sound effect ends the track on an admittedly sour note even if the intention behind it is felt, ushering us perhaps a tad hastily onto Opera’s take on Fleshgod Apocalypse’s traditional piano-centric title track closer – which perfectly wraps up the album in a neat little bow.
Much like the album’s theming suggests, it would appear that this is a new beginning for Fleshgod Apocalypse – as the band are reborn amid lineup restructuring and brushes with death alike. Despite nitpicks that can be argued regarding the band’s past and future sound, Opera remains a coherent experience of epic proportions that is significantly strengthened by its concept and the events that inspired it. It is evident that Fleshgod have been meticulously planning this return to the studio for some time now, experimenting with their well-established formula just enough to keep things fresh without soiling the sound that elevated them to their current status as theatrical death metal innovators. All the fat has been swiftly trimmed and the record never once outstays its welcome – this is Fleshgod Apocalypse to the core.
8/10
Opera is due to be released via Nuclear Blast on Friday, August 23rd both physically and on all major streaming services, you can pre-order it here.