Carnation – 'Symphony in Flesh' review: death metal that is meant to hurt
The Belgian band self-releases its fourth album. Metal Hammer awards it 6 out of 7 and calls it one of the death metal highlights of the year.
Photo: S. Bollmann / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Single video: YouTube · Carnation · youtube.com
Single: Boundless Pathways
Belgian death metal band Carnation released their fourth album 'Symphony in Flesh' on 16 October – without a record company, on their own label. Bassist Yarne Heylen produced it and Peter Sallai designed the cover. Five songs were released in advance with videos, most recently 'Boundless Pathways'.
Metal Hammer critic Thorsten Zahn gives it 6 out of 7. His motto: death metal does not need to be reinvented – it needs to hurt. The band sharpens its strengths – tight songwriting, nasty riffs, relentless intensity – and the Swedish death metal influences are clearly audible. Singer Simon Duson impresses with a wide range, from infernal growls to bestial rumbles.
Zahn recommends the title track and 'Twisted Visions'; the almost twelve-minute closer 'Legacy of the Forefathers' sustains the tension over its full length. He counts the band's do-it-yourself approach as a plus. His verdict on the nine songs: one of the death metal highlights of the year.