Fleshgod Apocalypse at the Gramercy Theatre

Tommaso Riccardi

Fleshgod Apocalypse is a technical death metal band formed in 2007 and residing in Rome, Italy. The band is presently comprised of vocalist/guitarist Tommaso Riccardi, guitarist Cristiano Trionfera, pianist Francesco Ferrini , bassist Paolo Rossi and drummer Francesco Paoli. The band's third and most recent album, Labyrinth, a concept album about the myth of Labyrinth of Knossos and its analogies to modern times, was released in August 2013.

Opening for SepticFlesh on the Conquerors of the World Festival Tour 2014, Fleshgod Apocalypse came onstage at the Gramercy Theatre tonight resembling Victorian-era corpses, wearing pallid whiteface and dressed in tattered formalwear. The visuals included a masked female opera singer (whom we barely heard), an upright piano, and glasses of wine. The music was brutal technical death metal with strong symphonic elements. Occasionally between songs, Riccardi seemed to be narrating the storyline, but it was difficult to follow. In many ways, the growling vocals and blistering guitar leads were good yet standard death metal, but paired with the vast symphonic effects, the music became epic, bombastic and intriguing.

Visit Fleshgod Apocalypse at www.fleshgodapocalypse.com.