Need a fix of the good death metal? Look no further than Symphony in Flesh, the fourth album from Belgian death dealers Carnation. Steeped in influence from Bloodbath and Entombed, plus American counterparts like Cannibal Corpse, Symphony in Flesh feels familiar without feeling like total worship.
The highest points on the album come on songs like “Labyrinth of Silence,” which blend the chainsaw guitars with melodic death metal harmonies. As the band explain, they wanted to enhance their songwriting while returning to the core of what makes Carnation a band.
“Symphony In Flesh embraces the core identity of Carnation while pushing our sound forward in new and exciting ways,” they tell Decibel. “It combines the raw energy and aggression of our early material with the refined songwriting and powerful production we’ve developed over the years, resulting in our most focused and accomplished record to date. Lyrically, the album explores disturbing and thought-provoking themes, ranging from obsession, violence and addiction to the struggle against cultural traditions and inherited expectations. Instrumentally, it delivers uncompromising death metal built on intensity, atmosphere and crushing heaviness, while retaining the subtle progressive elements that have become part of our evolution. The album artwork captures the blood, sweat, and tears behind our craft, portraying music as an act of creation, sacrifice and obsession. Compared to our previous album, this record is more direct, heavier and more closely connected to the essence of Carnation, while still building on the creative growth of our past work. Fans can expect a relentless death metal experience that hits hard from beginning to end, culminating in our most ambitious and expansive closing track to date.”
Do we need to say more? Hit play on this early full stream of Symphony in Flesh. Pre-orders are available via Torn from the Grave in the US and the band in the UK/Europe.
