Fleshgod Apocalypse have announced their sixth studio album, Opera, out August 23rd via Nuclear Blast Records. The Italian symphonic death metal band’s new single “Bloodclock” can be streamed now.
The announcement follows the release of the single “Pendulum,” the first tease of the album that dropped back in March. Following in a similar vein, “Bloodclock” combines symphonic elements and extreme death metal, with the epic arrangement following a very operatic, narrative-like flow.
The song and album were inspired by frontman Francesco Paoli’s near-death experience while mountain climbing in 2021, which he discussed openly in the album’s press release.
“What do we see right before we die? Well, with ‘Bloodclock’ I bear my witness and reveal the personal visions I had while hanging on a rope, unconscious, a few hundred meters above the ground. It’s insane how reality can be much more terrifying and soul crushing than imagination.”
He continued: “Soon after my discharge from the hospital, me and Francesco Ferrini started writing immediately, even if I was still bedridden and unable to play. The idea was to capture the mood of those dramatic days and make sure to keep intact the sense of desperation and fear that was still running through my veins after the accident. Later on, we worked with the others to develop those ideas and create the music that such a strong story deserves, music that takes your breath away and tosses you into a vortex of mixed feelings and discomfort. I believe we nailed it 110%.”
Opera was mixed and mastered by Grammy-nominated producer Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Epica, Arch Enemy). Visually, the album’s highly conceptual sleeve was created by two rising Italian artists — visual artist Felicita Fiorini and photographer Francesco Esposito — and depicts Veronica as Music, “a superior entity that defeats the social and artistic decay of modern age.”
“The best stories always come from pain, it’s a bitter truth yet undeniable,” Paoli stated. “We managed to turn one of the worst things in life into a work of art, that embodies our personal and artistic growth and takes the listeners on a rollercoaster of emotions, where they can experience what I’ve been through hand in hand with me. It’s a waking nightmare but that’s how life is sometimes, just scary.”
Pre-order Opera via Nuclear Blast. Stream the video for “Bloodclock” and see the album art and tracklist below.
Opera Artwork:
Opera Tracklist:
01. Ode to Art (De’ Sepolcri)
02. I Can Never Die
03. Pendulum
04. Bloodclock
05. At War With My Soul
06. Morphine Waltz
07. Matricide 8.21
08. Per Aspera Ad Astra
09. Till Death Do Us Part
10. Opera
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