I think I have finally struck gold with the “weird” side of metal. Over the past few years, I have been gaining a taste for the experimental, the strange, and the dissonant, ever seeking new releases that border on all of this. However, in search of gold, very few releases have caught my attention and held it. Fleshvessel’s debut album, Yearning: Promethean Fates Sealed (Yearning), is one of those, its experimentation is on another level from what we have seen with other “weird” bands like Phlebotomized. Let’s discuss.

Before I review the album properly, I want to discuss its structure. Yearning consists of seven tracks, with three being short interludes and the other four being long, expansive tracks, with the finale being close to 18 minutes. The main four act as concerti and seem to be divided into three to four different movements, each punctuated by what can be described as classical passages that give the music levity. For context, the best way to approach Yearning is to think of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, where each major track is performed as a concerto. In between each concerto, the interludes between each track act as cues for change in placements. Although all instruments are used in each song, these interludes prepare both the audience (the listener) and the orchestra (the band and their guests) for what’s to come.

Opener “Winter Came Early” starts off simple enough: an improvised piano-led introduction that does not prepare you for what’s to come. Then, the vocals kick in and this song reveals its true colors – stark black metal that gives the music that metal flavor we seek, but then the instrumentation fully comes to light. With a sonic palette ranging from programmed drums to synths to strings, Fleshvessel brings an ethereal feel to their music, a respite from the onslaught of cacophony that comes every now and then. That ethereal feel also lends to one of the most interesting, sonically charged moments of the track itself: towards the end, Fleshvessel pulls a Phlebotomized and creates their own danse macabre, combining what sounds like winds and strings into a compelling jig. The atmosphere is borderline demented, sounding less like Vivaldi and more like the background music at a forbidden speakeasy. Then, the track ends, the music shifts to an interlude that is filled with piano, and the musicians change positions for the next track to begin. Now, if you thought that “Winter Came Early” was weird, third track “A Stain” picks up right where “Winter Came Early” ended and expands on the musical themes that were previously explored. Here, the music is more intense, more funerary, and feels more akin to going to a themed masquerade. There’s also hints of a fretless bassline that gives the music a bit of a tech death bite, before slipping back to the insanity of that we have been acquainted with so far. “Infernal” is the closest descriptor I can think of when it comes to Fleshvessel’s music – everything is slightly off-kilter and heavy, but it’s also whimsical and charming.

Of the four main tracks, “The Void Chamber” is the most classical of the bunch – it’s whimsical, energetic, and utilizes its instrumentation to great effect. That earlier jig from “Winter Came Early” comes back, almost normal in Yearning’s scope. The metal aspects take a backseat, the band placing more focus on the choral and instrumental quality of the music. It crosses over into modern classical, almost akin to a modern operatic aria, and I loved every single moment of it.

Last, but not least, at the end of the road, there’s “Eyes Yet To Open,” where everything you have heard thus far – the classical aspects, the off-kilter, the dissonant – come together into one unified opus. It’s on this track where Fleshvessel is at their most creative and experimental, allowing themselves to fully marry the metal aspects of their sound with their instrumentation. All the previous elements that made each track stand out come full circle here, with an added chaotic flair that gives this track texture. It’s such a moving track you can’t help but listen along, and once you realize it’s over, you want to replay it again. You are now fully gripped into Fleshvessel’s grasp and they are not letting go any time soon.

All in all, Yearning is an album that gives Fleshvessel a seat at the “weird metal” table. While this may not be the easiest album to listen to, it is one of the most engaging albums I have listened to this year. 2023 has been a good year to weird metal, and all I can do is hail our dissonant overlords.

Hasta la proxima!

— Hera

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Yearning: Promethean Fates Sealed will be available July 28 on I, Voidhanger Records. For more information on Fleshvessel, visit their Facebook page.