Fleshvessel – Yearning: Promethean Fates Sealed LP

As promising as their debut EP was, the evolution that FLESHVESSEL have gone through is unbelievable. Starting from an avant-garde death metal base, with "Yearning: Promethean Fates Sealed" they transform into a formidable progressive metal machine able to break down any fence between genres. The basic fuel is always extreme metal, often with a death metal orientation, but the instrumentation has been enriched with acoustic guitars, viola, piano, flute, ocarina, harp, glockenspiel and trumpet, greatly expanding FLESHVESSEL's sound spectrum and pushing the music towards ambitious goals.

The transition between furious black/death metal and magniloquent progressive/symphonic scores is sudden but perfectly coherent, a sign of the degree of maturity reached by the band, which sounds like the absurd cross between PHLEBOTOMIZED, KAYO DOT and VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR.

Wrapped in a stunning cover painting by Carlos Agraz, "Yearning: Promethean Fates Sealed" is essentially a record about humanity's struggle against itself in seeking out the betterment of our world. "We all know Prometheus as the Titan who stole the gods' fire and brought it to humanity," FLESHVESSEL explain, "and was thus punished for his betrayal. The album title uses this well known myth as an allegory for humanity's seeking of enlightenment, creating a better, more accepting world, and the fight against itself to reach that goal." An overarching theme that is viewed through various lenses throughout the album, such as those of the cyclical nature of war, class conflicts, manipulation, and personal mental struggles.

"Ultimately there is no Titan that will come to save us, lift us up from the grime and dirt," FLESHVESSEL conclude. "It has to come from within ourselves to unseal our fates, and open our hearts and minds to goodness."

FLESHVESSEL
Alexander Torres - Electric guitar, viola, Puerto Rican cuatro, door harp, jaw harp, hand bell, drum programming, atmospheres, mixing
Troll Hart - Upright piano, keyboards/ synthesizers, vocals
Sakda Srikoetkhruen - Fretless bass, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, Thai phin
Gwyn Hoetzer - C Flute, wooden flute, wooden piccolo, ocarina

GUEST MUSICIANS
Kai Movagh - Glockenspiel, sleigh bells (track 1), darbuka, finger cymbals (track 5)
Michael van Bodegom-Smith - Trumpet (track 5)
Gleb Kanasevich - Clarinet (track 7)
Nick Juarez - Electric guitar (track 3)

All music composed by FLESHVESSEL
Audio clip in "A Stain" from Jokro: Death of an Infant Chimpanzee

Cover painting and logo by Carlos Agraz - The Art of Asty
Art direction and layout by Francesco Gemelli