From the outside looking in, it oftentimes feels as though death metal is something that seems to almost thrive in its old school ways. Vast swathes of the sound are viciously dedicated to keeping things relatively simple and straightforward as that’s much of what got many of us into extreme metal in the first place, but it’s those that spit in the face of stagnation that tend to be those that keep the genre moving forward in some form or another. The fringes of death metal are terrifying to behold, yet it’s even amongst those few venturers of the dark unknown that even fewer still can hope to claw their way to greatness. Two years since their first album, Fleshvessel cements itself as one of those select few units of incorporeal madness.

This is the sort of creation that damn near defies conventional explanation for it absolutely defies conventional death metal in virtually every possible form. From its compositions overflowing with deep themes, songwriting that wretches to and fro in overwhelmingly dramatic fashion, and such rich emotion that dances in the face of expectations, “Obstinacy: Sisyphean Dreams Unfolded” is a creation that words can hardly do justice for, especially my own. Words almost lose all meaning and weight when put before such a creation of staggering creativity and daring the likes of which death metal of this sort rarely receives, yet it took Fleshvessel only two years to piece this enigmatic creation together. It is here that we’re utterly spoiled to four tracks of undulating insanity across a vicious 48-minute expanse that rarely relents unless it’s to expand its repertoire into the avant-garde and psychedelic reaches that death metal rarely gets to see in such exquisite detail. “Obstinacy” has so much to find within its winding halls and screaming caverns that the confines of this reality simply cannot contain. It’s in being armed with a suspenseful line-up that always keeps the listener guessing that Fleshvessel does far more than make itself known as a name that’s not to be underestimated from here on out. Rather, it’s a name that demands our respect and caution lest their oppressive power remove us from this plane of existence.

Creations like this are few and far between. If it’s not the sheer density and creativity of the craft that catches one off-guard then it’s how confident Fleshvessel is in every step forward. Death metal that effortlessly mutates into something far more than extreme metal taken down a maddening side venture, it’s the whole of “Obstinacy: Sisyphean Dreams Unfolded” that we see the genre taken to both its greatest depths and loftiest heights.

“Obstinacy: Sisyphean Dreams Unfolded” releases on December 12th via I, Voidhanger Records!

LISTEN to advanced tracks from “Obstinacy: Sisyphean Dreams Unfolded” on Bandcamp here.

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