Cyclopic – Flesh of Chaos (Unequivocally Dark Fantasy Death Metal)

 

Ah yes. Haven’t had a supergroup in awhile, and Cyclopic consists of members from Germany, Kazakhstan, and Russia. Normally, this kind of mix yields mixed results (lol get it) but here we find something else entirely. Now, looking at info supplied by the label, Awakening Records (who you should really be paying more attention to), names are tossed out a plenty, such as Obituary, Sepultura, etc. etc. etc… I never like name drops, because though it gives some sense of what to expect, it never represents the band unto itself, and that’s what we’re about here. So let’s take that route as we check out Flesh of Chaos.

   

Dang, okay. Now, to be clear, Cyclopic are not supplying any extraodrindary sleight of hand. There are moments, albeit only a few, where you may find the direction moving in ways that are unexpected, but fundamentally this is old school metal with higher production value. The difference isn’t in the delivery, it’s in the narrative keystone of Flesh of Chaos. Cyclopic work their sound in ways that, ostensibly, appear commonplace, but throughout the listen it becomes apparent there’s a dark fantasy angle to not just their lyrical content, but also the sound itself, and I’m not quite sure how it was accomplished. You can even see it in the cover art; this bizarre, post-apocalyptic, cosmic cataclysm that demands the skills of a sorceress to save the remains of humanity. Somehow, in the riffs, the tempo, and the vocal delivery, Cyclopic have managed to create a new type of presence that we can hope will develop even further in future releases, should they come.

 

Awakening Records Official Instagram

Written by Stanley, Devourer of Souls

Cyclopic – Flesh of Chaos
Awakening Reocords
Cover Art: Mark Cooper
4.3 / 5