Leading up to the end of the year, Revolver has asked some of our favorite artists to pick their Top Albums of 2012 and tell us why each record rules. Here, Cristiano Trionfera (pictured left), guitarist of the symphonic death-metal band Fleshgod Apocalypse, selects his faves.
5. Aborted, Global Flatline
“This is a powerful album and it goes back to what Aborted sounded like some records before. Love it.”
4. Testament, Dark Roots of Earth
“They made it again. It is amazing how you have the chance to listen to Testament new stuff and enjoy it as much as the great old ones. They will always stay among the big ones and this album still sounds fresh.”
3. Enslaved, RIITIIR
“Love the way they create their atmosphere. I enjoyed their previous album very much and so I do for this one.”
2. Cannibal Corpse, Torture
“Cannibal Corpse are one of those bands you could never get bored with. The point is, they write pretty much always the same music and it is always awesome.”
1. Moonspell, Alpha Noir/Omega White
“It has taken a few Moonspell albums to make my attention go back on them. This is a great album, and they are really good live, which adds a lot nowadays to the process of enjoying the music.”
With the release of our new Slipknot special collector’s issue, we’re celebrating Slipknot month on RevolverMag.com, unleashing new interviews, photos, favorite Slipknot song picks from a host of celeb columnists, and much more. So check back right here often. Below, Fleshgod Apocalypse singer-guitarist Tommaso Riccardi talks about his favorite Slipknot song:
“My favorite Slipknot song is ‘Eyeless,’ no doubt about it!
I can feel hate into that song. Pure hate unleashed…and I like that! What I really enjoyed about that song, and actually of the whole Slipknot album, is the fact that it sounds like something pure. It seems that those guys really needed to scream out all the feelings they kept inside for a long time–and, damn, you can feel it!”
Most notable is Fleshgod Apocalypse’s ability to weave chuggy riffage and tireless blast beats with epic orchestral passages, resulting in a tapestry of romantic brutality. Opener “Temptation” creeps into an eerie crescendo before crashing straight into “The Hypocrisy,” a whirlwind of death-metal technicality and free-wheeling piano straight out of the Behemoth-based opera of your nightmares (it should be noted that amongst the band’s roster is pianist Francesco Ferrini). Tracks like “The Imposition” and “The Violation” juxtapose the band’s throttling aggression with its larger-than-life symphonics, while “The Egoism” and “The Betrayal” conjoin sorrowful solos with cinematic string-work to paint emotional landscapes that rival most sunsets.
The only issue throughout is the clear vocals—at times the wild cries on many of the songs sound strained beyond their reach, and tech-death fans may find it hard to swallow the operatic vibrato on “The Egoism”—but even these hearken back to ICS Vortex-era Dimmu Borgir in a way that will charm many listeners. Overall, the album is far more engaging and fierce than almost anything to come out of the underground this year, making the Fleshgod Apocalypse, and Italy’s metal scene, a force to be reckoned with. Ah, sweet Agony. CHRIS KROVATIN
Check out “The Volation” off Agony below: