You could ask me about the Serbian metal scene any given day and I couldn’t name a band except Bloodbath. Flourishing in anonymity, the Serbian metal scene has given birth to the most relentless, energetic and superior metal bands we could ask for. Carnival of Flesh are no different, formed in 2002 in the black metal scene of Siberia. After a split up in 2008, they redefined themselves in 2014 and almost 20 years later from the ideology-concretize the mammoth that is the black metal scene, that they had a role in redefining. This is their album, Anthems of Extinction.
Metal-from beginning to end
Starting this new anthology with the blissful escapade called Angst, Carnival of Flesh show that the past 7 years have been nothing but productive. Since their album Stories from a Fallen World, they’ve been on the down-low. Productively scheming and chalking up insightful lyrics, they unleash a boatload with Angst. It has all the black metal/heavy metal energy you need, haunting riffs and drums that strafe through the silence. The minor scale chordal shifts prepare you to feel the emotion, and mark a tick next to their greatest songs discography.
The One shows you what they have really been doing with relation to changing the scene. Employing an orchestral suite to aid them in the horror of humanity, CoF take you along for a ride of a lifetime. With blast beats to break downs having tempo changes, it is a breath of new, stale air going with their brand. They truly are artists, the haunted church sound percolating through the track and creating a new hemisphere of sound.
The role of the orchestra
I don’t know if you’ve ever wanted to see Zimmer collaborate and include black metal in film sequences. It doesn’t matter, because Carnival of Flesh create a worthwhile score with Tropical Plunder. Once again, they explore the schematics and results of the orchestral strings aiding the harrowing effect their songs have. As the hollow void from the background disappears, the blast beats and quick riffs sound fuller, and more organized. It is a clever tactic that is employed by Amon Amarth and other groove metal bands as well.
Can of Sorrow builds the despair in the playlist, with an ominous overcast deciding the fate of our kind. It has its hard hitting moments, though it relies on the flowing nature of the chorus and chords instead of baffling us with noise. It has an enchanting chorus section that is very well bled into the song, and also primes the ears for the suspected descending into chaos and madness. The spatial arrangement with respect to the song has been done impeccably, an underrated ge of a band.
Adopting the inspiring tones of Viking metal, Mask of Humanity continues the bands expedition to create a heavier impact with respect to the song. The tempo changes are worth noting, running fascinating parallels with the lyrics. The riff rides the wave often, building to the chorus that we can growl, if we have what it takes. Tapping guitar enters during the midsection, challenging the atmosphere of the song.
Cruising the tide for the epic wave
All albums by metal bands must have one. The epic. The one that is talked about. The one which you see the sheer length of the track and know its a prog-metal fantasy. Through the brains of Rush and guts of Death. Rapacity carries the same stature, a song of prog metal length and tenacity, and the glamour of it. See it as parts, it shows us the very core of the raw energy that can define this band. The mid-section is a mash of chaos, howling, screaming and scenes that might define the essence of the song. grabbing us with one more catchy hook. a melodic discourse is whispered to us. We dissolve into more mayhem, as the song closes out as a churned out chemical bomb perfected by the band.
I doubt a metal band can say they focus on their bassist like Lemmy did. Once you’re the frontman, you set the rules. However, The Great Escape has a great bass intro that breaks into the guitar riff and chanting verses. It has the qualities of all abomination, with the strings shining more than ever on several moments. It has a pause it cherishes and uses as a backdrop for more guitars and absolute rock mayhem. Great track.
Liberation is, as the title suggests, liberation from monotony. Another great riff, they use it masterfully as the spearhead of this song, with the orchestra right behind. The instrumentals are clear and on point, which is what is necessary from an album that has been whittled to detail like this. The breakdown is especially great on this song, with the simple guitar solo making it a memorable display.
A summary of humanity
Closing with the very heavy Requiem for a World, Carnival of Flesh use the slower tempo to create a track that flows slowly, like lava. Much shorter than their other songs, it is primarily an instrumental for the first minute or so, the bouncing riff dominating the air. Carnival of Flesh have showed us what it is like to constantly challenge the artistic path and evolving with the presence of music. They are the polar opposite of sellouts, creating a magical atmosphere that celebrates the demonic species that humans are. It is a love letter to our worst aspects, and hence is written with powerful romanticism.
Listen to their album here:
Self professed metalhead, moderately well read. If the music has soul, it's whole to me. The fact that my bio could have ended on a rhyme and doesn't should tell you a lot about my personality.
