What Lies Beyond "The Gates": Flesher's Fatal Death Metal (Early Track Stream)

I’ll admit to labeling death metal as ‘pummeling’ fairly often, but rarely is it as apt an adjective as it is for Flesher, who are set to unveil their debut LP Tales of Grotesque Demise later this year. Hailing from the perilous plains of Indiana, the band’s death metal leans heavily into annihilating groove; it’s old-school death metal intentionally shaped and disfigured into a grisly vessel for horror-obsessed riffs. Speaking of riffs, Flesher’s approach to riffs has more in common with the belligerent pounding of war drums, or, perhaps, a meat tenderizer, than anything melodic–catch a dose to the face with the new single we’re premiering below.

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“The Gates” opens with a perfect sample of that riff-bludgeoning I mentioned above. It’s soon embellished by low-pitched growls and drummer Dustin Boltjes’s (ex-Skeletonwitch, Chrome Waves, Sacred Leather) masterful drumming. His kick drum work is especially driving and precise here, locking in the song’s malicious pace and later escalating to lightning-fast rolls. The band’s command of rhythm keeps their high-momentum death metal focused, imprisoning listeners in their clutches as they rampage through bloody, though imaginative, realms of horror.

The band comments:

“The Gates” was inspired by the Clive Barker novel, Cabal. It’s a tale of a man, his nightmares and his salvation. It’s also a commentary on being an outcast when living outside of the status quo.

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Tales of Grotesque Demise releases September 15 via Redefining Darkness Records.