Style: Avant-Garde Metal, Progressive Death Metal, Modern Classical
Recommended for fans of: Blood Incantation, Death, Atheist, Septicflesh, Imperial Triumphant
Country: United States (IL)
Release date: 12 December 2025

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Big fuckin’ weirdos, rejoice! For the biggest and weirdest of 2025 is upon us! 

Since the beginning of the decade, Fleshvessel have been taking ever-widening leaps of truly bizarre death metal experimentation. Bile of Man Reborn’s twenty-four-minute runtime acted as a massive proof of concept, blending classical instrumentation and compositional techniques with an extended death metal palette. Debut LP Yearning: Promethean Fates Sealed introduced even more ambitious instrumentation, including additional string, woodwind, and percussion, proving that Fleshvessel were able to fully utilize all of these added textures while retaining the core of their sound. Now, with Obstinacy: Sisyphean Dreams Unfolded, Fleshvessel continue piling on instrumentation and influences which, along with a couple of fundamental textural shifts, push their sound to new heights

On the surface, Obstinacy exists somewhere in the same realm as Blood Incantation’s Absolute Elsewhere. Both are weirdo death metal greatly informed by an amalgamation of progressive rock, jazz, classical, and old-school death metal riffcraft; the difference is the scope with which these influences are applied. Blood Incantation keeps their influences largely independent from each other, partitioning song sections off from themselves, each living in their own distinct textural and compositional worlds. Such an approach lends itself to easy-to-follow song structures and pleasant enough pacing, but ultimately ends up feeling shallow and incomplete. On the other hand, Fleshvessel stirs many of the same influences, techniques, and textures that define Blood Incantation into a bubbling stew, allowing all of the flavors to meld together into a complex flavor profile: deeply satisfying, yet leaving your mouth watering for more. Demented operatic vocals superimpose themselves upon death metal riffing; strings and keyboards juggle between providing harmony and acting as leads; flute trills and other woodwind textures accent opportune moments and provide general ornamentation; and a whole host of other eclectic instrumentation each adds its own character.

Such a wide array of textures and techniques is sure to overwhelm the listener at first, especially when paired with Obstinacy’s dense compositions. Thankfully, Fleshvessel have a firm grasp on the core of their sound and are able to deftly weave every oddity into their sonic tapestry. Strong songwriting fundamentals provide a rock-solid foundation over which Fleshvessel are able to blanket countless idiosyncrasies. Yet, competent compositional prowess on its own isn’t enough to fully capture the intention of a piece of music as grand as this. Obstinacy pairs its strong songwriting with a near immaculate sense of pacing, one that reminds me of how Cryptic Shift approached their own epic “Visitations From Enceladus”. Both take their time and aren’t afraid to simply stop playing a part when the idea is complete, moving directly to the next section. No unnecessary transitions, padding, or filler: Obstinacy just plays the good parts, burning the chaff necessary for such long songs. Don’t get me wrong, Fleshvessel are still more than willing to slow down and focus on atmosphere and ambiance when appropriate (“AM”), but these sections are fully fleshed out statements of their own, rather than mere interstitial lining. 

Fleshvessel have successfully augmented their soundscape without compromising flow, but two major differences between Obstinacy and their previous work may give long-time fans pause. First is the live acoustic drum performance courtesy of Colin MacAndrew. As much as I and many others enjoyed Alexander Torres’s drum programming on previous releases, having a real drummer is an improvement in every way for my tastes. MacAndrew is a phenomenal player, and his ability to inject dynamics and a more fluid time-feel greatly benefits the compositions, allowing the music to breathe in ways that were simply impossible before. The other, far more controversial difference, is Troll Hart’s evolving vocal style: specifically, his newfound love for insane, theatrical belted falsettos. Hart’s style is immediately reminiscent of King Diamond, though at times I’m even reminded of the unchecked derangedness of SikTh, especially during the more pained whispering vocal fry moments (“It Lurched From A Chasm In the Sky”). Plenty of traditional screams and death growls still permeate each song, but the majority of Hart’s vocal performance is now comprised of unabashedly weird clean singing. 

In many ways, the evolution of Hart’s vocal performance is analogous to the progress made in Fleshvessel’s sound as a whole. Each is pervaded by a renewed sense of bold audaciousness, diving headfirst into novel structures, textures, and techniques while wrapping the entire presentation in a shameless theatricality that threatens to tear the sound apart at the seams. Sure, the performances can come across as being unpolished, and certain stylistic choices are certainly abrasive, but in the end, such quirks betray an authenticity that only adds to Obstinacy’s charm. The only real nitpicks I have are that the production can be unbalanced at times, and that songs can sometimes stray too far away from the death metal side of things for too long, both minor quibbles.

Indeed, Obstinacy is very, very odd. If one can imagine a piece of music, Fleshvessel were probably inspired by it. The fact that such a plethora of ideas has been successfully merged into a cohesive, idiosyncratic sound is nothing short of a miracle. Despite being able to draw parallels to King Diamond, Between the Buried and Me, Opeth, SikTh, Blood Incantation, Cryptic Shift, Lucifer’s Friend, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Death, and many more, Obstinacy is still somehow completely and utterly recognizable, first and foremost, as Fleshvessel. Most people will not have the predisposition to find worth in such a brazenly eclectic album, and even of those who do, many may not have the patience for it. But, for my fellow Big Fuckin’ Weirdos™, it would be hard to imagine closing out 2025 on a higher note.

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Recommended tracks: Am, It Lurched From A Chasm In the Sky
You may also like: Atvm, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Bedsore, Qrixkuor, Orgone
Final verdict: 9/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Label: I, Voidhanger Records

Fleshvessel is:
– Alexander Torres (Electric guitar, viola, Puerto Rican cuatro, Puerto Rican tres, backing vocals, synthesizers/atmospheres, saw, metal spatula, maracas, sleigh bells, rainstick)
– Sakda Srikoetkhruen (Electric/acoustic guitars, bass, phin)
– Troll Hart (Keyboards/synthesizers, piano, vocals/oration, recorder)
-Gwyn Hoetzer (Flute)
-Colin MacAndrew (Drums, triangle, chimes)
With guests:
– Chad Moore (Clarinet, bass clarinet on track 1)
-Kai Movagh (Daf on track 4)
-Dan Saillant (Bassoon on track 3)
-Hannah Goldenstein (Vocals on track 4)