Fleshgod Apocalypse
30th May 2017
The Kings Arms, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Kate Taylor. Photography by Matt Henry Mendonca.
If it was a cold Tuesday Auckland evening you wouldn’t have known for the throngs of particular fans that gathered to welcome Italia’s beloved sons of the death metal cult – Fleshgod Apocalypse. Organectomy launched the evening with a really great reception for them straight from the outset, which was fantastic as it was a much earlier doors and first band set time on the evening; to combat the fascist oppression of encroaching city apartment dwellers trying to prematurely destroy one of Auckland’s most beloved venues, before we’re all forced to deal with the reality of The Kings Arms’ impending doom.
Part way through Organectomy’s set, more punters flooded in an encamped down front for an evening of mostly new songs for us, some even without titles as they gave them an airing on the night. Poignantly though, Organectomy did dedicate the evening’s performance to a friend of theirs who’d passed away recently and the catharsis of performing live looked to knit together and relieve them. Eye rolling, hair flipping, deathy beats soaked with groove laden tempo changes and song pauses were expertly presented to us. Connecting to the crowd further, vocalist Alex Paul and the Organectomy lads dedicated a song to one of New Zealand’s premiere metal vocalists and general scene G.C. Dan Birrell (Carnal, Vixen Execution), who wasn’t in the crowd that night, but who I know would have appreciated the name-check nonetheless. The crowd was at their mercy, throwing themselves at the pulpit and quaking like possessed death priests, sermonising in fervour as each raised a single hand in the air and violently shook it in appreciation at Organectomy; who might just be my new favourite NZ metal band and I’m certainly looking forward to seeing some of Christchurch’s finest come back and blast our faces off again soon.
Next up Metal Tower, an assemblage of metal dudes from all around NZ but representing Gizzy were tight, proficient and quick with their set; almost demonstrating their hopes to round up quickly so they could see FA too, showing their colours as true fans just like the crowd themselves. Giving a real sense of excitement about the imminent arrival of Fleshgod Apocalypse; at the close of their set, voxman and shredder Whoreyevo Bendeco cried “Get ready to see some real fucking metal from Fleshgod Apocalypse.” I’m loathe to admit personally that it’s been about ten years since I’ve seen Metal Tower live; and their breath of song catalogue and playing has a slicing precision now which they should be very proud of as the self-aware, almost jokey version of Metal Tower witnessed previously, is irrefutably gone from sight. Metal Tower brought good traditional progressive metal at frenetic break-neck speed, with highlights definitely being Fvk Mourning and Decisions, which were very well received.
Then…like some 17th century maestros that emerged from the earth, shaking off the dust of the grave and taking up the instruments of our time to bring us a cataclysmic force of traditional, classical death – Fleshgod Apocalypse graced the stage, in an intimate sized venue that we should all be very grateful to have seen them perform in. Incredibly, FA had no set list onstage which was mind-boggling but ultimately demonstrated their astonishing theatricality, professionalism and care for their audience; although we did hear a good slab of tracks from 2016’s King including: The Fool, In Aeternum and Cold As Perfection; with title track from 2013’s Labyrinth and Pathfinder also gaining searing applause from the assembled, as did The Forsaking.
FA delighted all by bringing us a solid back catalogue of tracks and their entire stage set up with them; including the astonishing Veronica Bordacchini who is generally only at 40% of FA shows. Bordacchini is very much part of the performance, omnipotent with her glided staff she stamps into the stage. Bordacchini is clearly classically trained and presents a sublime operatic theatricality with her interaction with the members on stage, especially Tommaso Riccardi as they create and act out the narrative of their suites as blades of smoky light slice the air behind them.
Grinding through their set with meticulousness and aural beauty, Riccardi looms over the crowd, grimacing and bearing his teeth, casting his gaze from pit goer to pit goer, enslaving their very soul. Then addressing us directly, Riccardi spits “Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen! We are Fleshgod Apocalypse from Italia!” cue us all losing our collective shit. Riccardi mused “lately I’ve been thinking…it’s so important to live for the present, and I’m so happy to be here in NZ for the first time!” he said as he leans back and lifts a half drunk bottle of pinot noir to his death painted lips…or was it some other jewel red fluid he supped upon to fuel his ire…we’ll never really know I suppose.
A beautiful liberation is witnessed as FA and crowd move together as one, writhing and sweating as Bordacchini steps forward to sing directly to the front row, stooping over us. Riccardi urges us to “pursue knowledge and access virtue” as he knows “some of [you] having been waiting 6 years to hear this so here we go” before the performance of Labyrinth which was met by the crowd singing the riff at FA, to their clear delight, even through the corpse paint of the crypt. Time dissolved as they played as we were neither knowing nor caring how long we had left with FA, as we were enraptured. Sidenote: Francesco Paoli could be one of the best metal drummers I’ve ever witnessed play live; and to see him and indeed FA in a small and intimate setting such as The Kings Arms was an incredible experience and one that won’t be forgotten quickly.
At the encore portion, Riccardi commanded “alright NZ it’s your turn, for this next one I want to play and old game, I want to split the room into left and right.” The crowd looks to each other and dutifully does as they are asked, for the impending wall of death, at Riccardi’s signal, then they run and its organic violence as bodies collide into a pit stew of thrashing bodies. Pleased with that, Riccardi’s new directive is “now we’ve got two options we stop here and we go home”, “it’s a long flight” yells one punter; “it is a long flight” agrees Riccardi before going on “and the second option is to keep playing, but we have a third option, we can go back in time, this song is the very first song off the very first album!” In Honour of Reason from 2009’s Oracles is unleashed upon us which brought the house down, with literally old pieces of gaffer tape flaking from the ceiling and falling to the floor like autumn leaves over a mausoleum. At its close FA finish simultaneously and raise their instruments or horns high as one and take their leave of us briefly.
As Fleshgod Apocalypse returned to the stage for their farewell bow, pianist and orchestral sampler Francesco Ferrini stepped to centre front of stage and his expression of delight and surprise was priceless as the fervent crowd surged forward like a tsunami, in supplication to graze hands with this spectacular performer as the rest of FA joined him and dutifully and gratefully touched hands with as many of the assembled as they could.
Overall Fleshgod Apocalyse’s first ever visit to New Zealand’s shores can only be described as perfetto! Fantastico! Bella, bella! Buona notte for now Fleshgod Apocalypse and we can’t wait to see you in Aotearoa again.
Were you there at The Kings Arms for this sublime night of perfect operatic metal? Or have you seen Fleshgod Apocalypse live somewhere else? Tell us about it in the comments below!