- Country: Italy
- Style: Symphonic death metal / Technical death metal
- Label: Nuclear Blast
- Release date: 16 August 2013
Labyrinth is a concept album built on the myth of the Labyrinth of Knossos, and Fleshgod Apocalypse treat the subject with exactly the amount of restraint you would expect from them: none. Orchestra, choir, piano and blast beats arrive together and rarely leave.
When it works, it is thrilling. “Kingborn” opens at full gallop, and “Minotaur (The Wrath of Poseidon)” is the most direct song the Italians had written to that point, its hook cutting clean through the strings. “Elegy” and “The Fall of Asterion” balance the bombast with real melodic writing, and the high clean vocals give the choruses a theatrical lift that suits the material.
The problem is density. Stefano Morabito’s mix packs everything into the same narrow space, and over the full running time the drums and the orchestra start to blur into a single wall. “Under Black Sails” has strong ideas but drags, and the “Prologue”/“Epilogue” pairing feels more like structure for its own sake than drama. Colin Marks’ cover art, at least, matches the ambition of the music.
Tiring in one sitting, rewarding in pieces. It is still the most complete version of what this band set out to do.
Best tracks:
Minotaur (The Wrath of Poseidon)
Kingborn
Elegy
The Fall of Asterion
Author’s rating: 8.0/10
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