Fleshgod Apocalypse - Opera

Angry Metal Guy

Opera, the fifth full-length LP from the Italian symphonic death metal juggernaut Fleshgod Apocalypse, marks the band’s first record since 2019’s Veleno. Some may recall that in 2021, the band’s mastermind, Francesco Paoli (bass and vocals), suffered from a mountain climbing accident that landed him in the hospital. During the harrowing ordeal that followed, he and the band had little sense of the future of Fleshgod Apocalypse. It should come as no surprise that Francesco and the others burst into a creative frenzy upon improving and returning to band activities. From the remnants of this tragedy, Opera was born.

Opera marks a significant change in Fleshgod Apocalypse’s trajectory. Inspired by the Opéra Lyrique, a genre less grandiose than the opera you’re thinking of, Opera contains episodic dialogues or confessionals with the imaginary characters of Francesco’s episode. To accomplish this, Veronica Bordacchini—featured on the album’s cover—was enlisted to play the role of these companions: death, life, and hope.¹ And while the band has not changed, with Francesco Ferrini (Piano), Fabio Bartoletti (Guitar), and Eugene Ryabchenko (“Drums”) filling out the act, Opera is not your Monarch’s Fleshgod Apocalypse.

Opera by Fleshgod Apocalypse

The core of Fleshgod Apocalypse’s sound hasn’t changed markedly. Blasty, heavily replaced drums prop up guitars and orchestras that trade places as the leading musical characters. The mix sports audible but unremarkable bass, and Paoli’s guttural vocal attack over the top. In its peak—and most recognizable—form, Fleshgod Apocalypse is fast, heavy, and evokes Europe in the time when wigs were a common fashion accessory, with the guitars carrying melodies and engaging in Vivaldian gymnastics² (“Morphine Walz”). Elsewhere, the sound is dark, dramatic, and heavy, utilizing grinding drums and blasting French horns or orchestral hits to create an undeniable tension (“At War with My Soul,” which recalls the excellent horn compositions from King). The songwriting isn’t progressive, but it sure as hell is technical, with ridiculous riffs that, at their best, dance on a bed made by lush orchestrations (“Per Aspera Ad Astra”). And when it’s less successful, the guitars take a Nightwishian backseat, leaving the orchestrations to do the heavy lifting.

Rather than being the “darker” or “heavier” album bands often tout in meaningless interviews, Opera is a significantly tighter and—Padre, perdonami—poppier record than its predecessors. Opera features short songs, including an instrumental intro and outro, and the album clocks in at a tight 44 minutes. This means there are eight episodes, none longer than roughly five and a half minutes. But rather than just tightening the writing, Paoli and company also made new stylistic choices that differentiate Opera from its predecessors. “I Can Never Die” features a piano breakdown of the chorus and a Eurovision key change. “Matricide 8.21” starts sounding like a Nightwish song from Once; no double kick, 4/4 time signature, and heavy on Veronica’s voice. More tellingly, the song also features simple melodies carried on the guitars, with almost no neoclassical affectation. Moments like these speak to a significant perspective shift.

Veronica’s performances are a shifting character throughout Opera, lending it more melody and marking a tonal shift for Fleshgod Apocalypse. Rather than sticking to her opera soprano—as she did so charmingly on “Paramour” from King—Bordacchini performs different vocal interpretations meant to embody different characters. On “I Can Never Die,” she (mostly) eschews her formal technique for a straight tone, while “Bloodclock” finds her straddling an unaffected pop approach with operatic emphases. Veronica’s most effective and unexpected performance comes on “Morphine Waltz,” where she adopts an almost punky scream like Agnete Kjølsrud (Djerv). Of course, opera is her greatest strength and part of Fleshgod Apocalypse’s core idiom, and she does that frequently and well. But while Opera showcases Veronica’s ample gifts, the use of straight tone and poppy cleans unexpectedly pushes Fleshgod into territory fitting of Napalm Records.

The combination of all these elements gives the album an undeniably poppy feel. The varied songwriting that, at times, leans into more heartfelt and balladesque territory (“Till Death Do Us Part”) or seems to be drawing from pop writing (“I Can Never Die,” “Matricide 8.21,” “Bloodclock”). Prominent melodic vocals from Veronica, with clean, tight songwriting, give the creeping sensation that Fleshgod is trying to take a Nightwishian turn toward more accessible, less grandiose music. The final element is Opera’s slick and polished presentation. Working with Jacob Hansen again, the album clocks in at a DR6 and is loud, but well-balanced. Even though King’s drum tone was better, Hansen’s grip on Fleshgod’s sound is firmer on Opera. He deftly handles Ferrini’s orchestrations and helps the vocal arrangements to ascend into the same stratosphere as Turilli’s excellent vocal compositions. The choral parts are huge and lend operatic gravity to the band’s sound.

Opera does an excellent job of balancing the old and the new, and most importantly, it justifies its artistic choices. Framing Opera as a lyric opera is a brilliant strategic move because it discredits criticisms of a poppier sound by foregrounding the artist’s vision and post-traumatic growth of what was a harrowing time for Paoli and his compatriots. Furthermore, Opera is simultaneously and undeniably fun, heady, and technically impressive. While I suspect Fleshgod Apocalypse ‘lost’ its trvest death metal fans after Oracles, I can see Opera being a divisive record for current fans because of its novel traits. And yet, I find it hard to argue with quality and the ability to take a base of brutal death metal and forge a product this addictive and immediate. Despite not being in love with the idea of a future Fleshgod that eschews its brutal base and embraces more simplistic melodies and composition, that day has not yet arrived. So, while I miss King’s grand opera aspirations, I admire the execution of the unified vision from which the album benefits.

Rating: Great
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 192 kb/s mp3³
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Websites: fleshgodapocalypse.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/fleshgodapocalypse
Release Worldwide: August 23rd, 2024

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