It cannot be said clearly enough that not all art is for everyone, and it never should be. Universal appeal is boring as fuck and often means it was compromised so that no one’s tastes were put off and that maximum enjoyment can be accomplished by as many consumers as possible. Give me something brain mangling and confusing any day.

Chicago-based avant-garde death metal power Fleshvessel is right at home on I, Voidhanger, a label where creativity and non-conformity practically are musts to exist on their roster. The band’s new record  “Obstinacy: Sisyphean Dreams Unfolded” can push even the most adventurous listeners to their limit as the their dalliances with jazz, noise, progressive sounds and damn-near orchestra level of elements can make this latest look at the human struggles, kind of overwhelming. Kind of is being … kind. That’s not a criticism as much as a warning for the experience ahead that can be downright manic and brain melting. In the best possible way. The band—vocalist/keyboard player Troll Hart, multi-instrumentalist (and he takes on a ton of instruments) Alexander Torres, guitarist/bassist/phin player Sakda Srikoetkhruen, flautist Gwyn Hoetzer, drummer/triangle and chimes player Colin MacAndrew—teams with a slew of guest musician to bring this enormous vision to life. The continued weight we put on our own shoulders pushing the boulder up the hill gets maniacal presentation here, and it’s astonishing.

“Mental Myiasis” opens, running 9:33 and instantly shimmering, cutting open and mangling as the leads dazzle, the howls snarl, and the manic activity could make someone with sound sensitivities a little uncomfortable. I’ll be OK. High-pitched vocals that toggle the line between Axl Rose and King Diamond explode, clips from the 1975 film “Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom” intensify the anxiety, the singling later strangling before a sense of calm arrives. Maniacal gasps explode from that, organs dazzle, and a beastly rush is met by horns, guitar steam, and the energy bleeding out in the heat. “Am” is a 13:34-long beast that begins with mangling guitars, burly power, and flutes soaring, the singing fluttering and unloading before guitars zap. Screams melt, and more piercing wails lash, and the bass bubbles, increasing the atmosphere. The cosmos simmers as synth fold in, riffs scorch, and the organs boil. Dialog from Harlan Ellison’s 1967 sci-fi terror I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream warns of a supercomputer’s violence upon its creators, chants of “Hate!” chill, and howls gurgle into an endless menace. 

“Cessation Fixation” has the bass flexing, the pace engorging, and sludge clogging veins, the icy guitars carving into stone. There are some weird funk elements that, while seemingly out of place, actually work in this psychosis of sounds. The singing slices as the strange aura envelopes, guitars and keys mix as the drums destroy, and then a psyche blanket warps sight. The singing soars as chimes echo, the guitars ravage, and the sprawl disintegrates. Closer “It Lurched From a Chasm in the Sky” is the longest track, running 16:28 and starting clean, dialog flowing, banshee vocals making your ears vibrate. The playing grows more progressive as the keys dip into a disarming playfulness, the howls drench, and guest Hannah Goldstein’s singing takes you elsewhere amid jazzy fog and weird, whirring keys. The brutality returns and detonates for a stretch before it’s salved over by warm flutes and psychedelic melting, and the singing striking as the guitars waft into stars. Demonic wails cut bone, the attack comes crashing down, and the synth swarms, dashing to a finish.

Fleshvessel is not an easy band to digest, and it goes without saying that “Obstinacy: Sisyphean Dreams Unfolded” follows suit. Their continued look at the means of human struggles and how we often make for our own worst enemy comes in the form of a record that is not one that is likely to find favor with most audiences. And that’s OK! Art is meant to challenge and to put one’s comfort in danger, which this record does over and over again. It might not feel like a warm embrace, but each moment puts you and your preconceived notions about heavy music to the test. 

For more on the band, go here: https://fleshvesseldm.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://metalodyssey.8merch.us/

Or here (Europe): https://metalodyssey.8merch.com/

For more on the label, go here: https://i-voidhangerrecords.bandcamp.com/