Prepare for bludgeoning! Fleshgod Apocalypse returns with their second full length album to batter listeners senseless with a symphonic, semi-technical, all-out pummeling. And when I say “symphonic” they seem to have taken a page from bands like Dimmu Borgir or even Hollenthon, in creating a sound of bombastic, orchestrated splendor overlaid a fairly straight-forward, rudimentary wall of hyper brutality.

The song structures themselves are for the most part simplistic and stick to a formula that is tried and true. Although they do take a few steps off this path with songs like “The Deceit”’, “The Violation”, and “The Forsaking”, by throwing in some more unique elements that stick out and change up the pace. Also and in closing with the instrumental title track “Agony”, offering a fitting and composed closure to the album.

About half of the tracks have clean operatic vocals passages offsetting what are typically throughout standard Cookie Monster vox. The solos are memorable, short and sweet. The production is a towering tsunami consisting of copious amounts mud and guts, destruction and lush key workings, all levels maxed. Tracks like “The Egoism” come across like mid-era Kataklysm as a relentless, tight, hammering, riffy assault of balanced catchiness and blasting viciousness. In fact a good portion of the album itself could be compared to a mid-era Kataklysm with orchestration, and you would not be too far off base really.

Where Oracles showcased a more clinical Death Metal with classical musings serving as interludes and bridging between songs, here we find a more constant, symphonic, ruthlessly executed yet less technical transposition with only the short initial track and the last (being the title) track as sole orchestra-type pieces. Some listeners are sure to be bored or unimpressed by this release, and they’re straight up fucking posers. Bow down and worship at the altar of symphonic-fused unrelenting aggression that is Agony!

TRACK LISTING

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*Comments:

1. Temptation
2. The Hypocrisy
3. The Imposition
4. The Deceit
5. The Violation
6. The Egoism
7. The Betrayal
8. The Forsaking
9. The Oppression
10. Agony

Total playing time:  45:14

Release Date: Aug 9th, 2011
Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Fleshgod Apocalypse - Agony

Reviewer: Greg

August 13, 2011