ENCOMIUM 2009: Fleshgod Apocalypse

This Italian Death Metal machine shocked pretty well the spheres of the underground with their masterful debut album called "Oracles". The ingenious mix between different musical styles made this album simply mindblowing and extraordinary! The band actually is in full speed ahead mode, so I've thought it's the right time to ask the guys to share their latest news with us. The answers were transported by Paolo Rossi (vocals/bass), but for a few moments Cristiano Trionfera (vocals/guitar) also joined in. Enjoy this apocalyptic conversation and stay tuned for their next release!

FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE appeared nearly 3 years ago and despite this short period of time you managed to release a promo (2007), a split (2008) and the debut album "Oracles" (2009), which is definitely a huge phenomenon, and also took part in numerous tours with colleagues from the very first row. Tell us what is the key to your success? And would you please draw conclusions from these past years?

P: Hi Cornelius! First of all thank you for the interview and support! The key to our success? Perseverance, indeed. These years have been very difficult for us, many line-up changes, problems with labels, losing jobs, shit like that. You have to be very focused on your goal if you wanna leave behind these obstacles. Then you start reaching something concrete, but you have to realize that's just the beginning and you have many other mountains to climb! Eheh!

"Oracles" made a huge boom in the underground not just with its well-guessed formula between brutality and classical music, but with the sheer aggression, complexity, precision and hyper speeds beyond belief. Tell us what inspired you to create such an awesome musical combination plus which classical composers as well as bands from the metal spheres had a big impact on the musical aspects of FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE?

P: All we wanna do is to create the feeling of an eternal apocalypse! What's better than Death Metal aggressivity and the dramatic aspect of Classical music? For sure we like bands like NILE, BEHEMOTH, AT THE GATES, VADER, as well as Beethoven, Bach, Wagner among many others! A freaking mixture of all of them sounds crazy, isn't it? But it worked well till now, so we'll continue exploring this combination.

I have to admit "Oracles" has got a massive & totally devastating sound production! You've recorded it at 16th Cellar Studio under the supervision of Stefano "Saul" Morabito. Tell us how many weeks it took to record the album there and was it hard to achieve the final result? Can we expect your collaboration with Saul for the 2nd full-length as well?

P: Yeah, Saul did a great job, as usual! It's a friend and a great worker so it took just one month to record and to produce the album! It's been not so easy to reach the final product, 'cause there were many aspects about the general sound to take care, but we're very proud of the result. Yes, for sure we'll continue that collaboration; we're entering the 16th Cellar again in January to record a new EP!

Do you already have new songs written? Please tell us about the musical direction of your second album? Do you play those new songs live yet? If so, what is the fans' reaction on them?

P: Of course we have! I don't know what will be the second album, but for sure I know about the EP we're going to record now! The new stuff is faster, much more epic and dramatic. We never played that songs till now, I think we're gonna do that during our next tour.

4th of July, 2009 I witnessed your live brutality in Debrecen (Hungary) during your tour along with GOD DETHRONED and SACRAMENTAL BLOOD. It was simply amazing! How the hell can you be so precise & intense live as well? Any special warming up rituals before the shows?

P: No rituals man! I don't even warm up before the show! I know I should, but who cares? Ahaha! Just concentration and will to destroy all on stage!

After "Storming the Balkans" tour 2 more followed, namely "Funeral Nation" (with MARDUK, VADER & THE ORDHER) and "Oracles UK-Eire" (with SKYFIRE & INGESTED). You've visited quite a lot of countries with these 3 tours, tell us your impressions and which places you liked the most and why? Can you also tell us any funny or weird stories from these tours and how was to share the stage with the aforementioned bands?

P: Every country we visited was fantastic, surely 'bout different aspects, but everywhere the reaction of the fans was good, maybe I have to spend a special word for our friends in Ireland, great drinkers and great fans! Moreover, sharing the stage with such big bands it's been an honour for us, we learnt a lot of things just watching how they work simple things out, you know what I mean! Eheh, many weird stories man, too much to talk about with few words!

Lyrically you judge the false and blind faith movements of the religious streams we face today. In my opinion, religion kills individuality and vice versa. What do you think about this? Also tell us what inspires you to write such lyrics. What themes will you touch & incorporate for the next album?

P: Usually when I write lyrics for our music I concentrate myself on all the aspects that tried to blind Human mind in the whole history. And, you know, religion is a perfect way to control people. At the same time I don't think we're gonna blame only religion on our next lyrics like we did on "Oracles". Next albums we'll surely talk about other "chains" that are still binding our minds.

I remember that on the "Storming the Balkans" tour you had to cancel the last gig in Romania, because some idiots didn't want to allow GOD DETHRONED to play there. Did you ever have any similar problems towards FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE? By the way, whose idea was to name the band such killer way and what did you mean exactly under these words?

P: Such a shame man... I remember well! Actually we didn't have problems with our monicker till now! Anyway the name's idea is mine, and with these words I wanted to express the "apocalypse of the god of flesh", that's an ironic way to call all the human kind, destroyed by its own mistakes, like religion, slavery, superstitions.

Tommaso Riccardi became the fourth element for FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE. What should we know about him besides he is an awesome guitar player & vocalist? Will his ideas got materialized on your second album as well?

P: Tommaso is our new frontman, that's why he joined the band after Francesco switched behind the drumkit! I took care about that role just for the "Storming the Balkans Tour", because I knew all the lyrics and he hadn't enough time to learn both guitar and vocals. Now he's totally focused on his role, and he will give us important contribution in writing sessions too!

Do you have daylight jobs or all of you totally concentrate on playing/touring with FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE and with the rest of musical bands/projects you have?

P: We had jobs, but, as I told you before, we had to quit due to the tours, so right now we're focused on the band. But, you know, it's obvious that everyone of us have always to search temporary works during the band's break-time periods (that are very unusual, indeed!) in order to earn some money. The band is still too underground to allow us not working anymore.

You are all skilled & experienced musicians, so it's pretty interesting for me how long it takes for you to compose a given song and does the skeleton of the song usually comes from Francesco's mind?

P: Ahah! Right now Francesco's here with me blaspheming about the arrangement of a new song! He usually come out with a basic idea, then he develops it by himself writing rhythm guitars and drums, then we give him suggestions and contribution with our own instrument-lines and I usually take care about the lyrical aspects.

Did you sign to Willowtip Records only for the release of "Oracles" or this co-operation will continue for your future releases as well? Are you satisfied with their work done for "Oracles"?

P: We're very happy about the work done by Jason and all the Willowtip's staff. Our new EP and our second album will be released by Willowtip Records.

Will you perform some special songs on your forthcoming "Legacy of Blood" European tour 2010 in support for mighty SUFFOCATION? Can you enlighten us some details about this massive tour as well as what places are you eager to visit again?

P: We're looking forward to tour with SUFFOCATION! It'll be a great experience for sure! We're gonna visit many places where we've already played, so much more people will know about us, as long as new countries like Poland and Slovakia where we've never been before!

Tell us in a few words how the Italian Death Metal scene, their bands, fans & supporters look like today. What bands would you recommend us to check out? Also name us those bands from the worldwide underground community which recent releases impressed you or simply changed in you something.

P: Italian death metal scene is good, but still too much underground. There are many bands deserving much more interest from critics and labels. Anyway someone of those are pretty known even outside Italy, like HOUR OF PENANCE, SEPTYCAL GORGE, BLASPHEMER, NATRON, GORY BLISTER and so on...

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer my questions. Please share your last apocalyptic visions with the readers of Encomium and send your flesh-addicted wishes to all the Ukrainian fans of FLESHGOD APOCALYSPE!