Fleshbound - Fleshbound (EP)

We’ve already stepped into the mid of April and my hunt for extreme releases is still on, except this time I’ve been fascinated by some underground deathcore. Their mysterious artwork intrigued me to pick up the record, and glad I did! Hailing from Arkansas, Fleshbound is a new technical deathcore setup. The band dropped their self-titled debut EP this month, and I’m here to discuss it.

Right from the beginning, the "Intro" track paints a serene ambient atmosphere with its heavy guitar-driven riffs in a blackened experience. The track showcases its intense drumming and fast, shreddy guitars from the start itself, prevalent throughout the album. It is with “Human Disease”, Fleshbound sheds their skin to reveal their true musical tyranny. The chunky riffs of Dakota Winders and Lucas May along with the insane highs of Bill Noonan account for some memorable moments on the track. Following the footsteps of bands like A Night in Texas and Aversions Crown, their mettlesome take on the realm of technical deathcore is filled with technicalities while keeping elements of slam and dissonance mixed into it. Tracks like “Misdirection” are techy to its core with its sheer drumming, while incorporating many dynamic changes resulting in strong passages. Not to forget the melancholic acoustic outro - probably the biggest takeaway from the track!

A rather short track, “Tongue Cut Oracle” channelizes the mixture of brutality with sheer speed of bands like Aborted and Benighted. The outro is almost in the fashion of “To The Hellfire”, with its gradual decrease of tempo with each bar while Noonan’s vocals take up the center stage. “Awakening the Despot” blasts off from the beginning itself with a thick bass tone underneath it, while the guitar riffs showcase a lot of dissonance in the first half. The later-half displays a more melodic realm, with a saxophone solo followed by a melodic guitar solo which elevates the listening experience.

With the inherent good song-writing by the members, the subtle decisions like using lo-fi fillers or a sax solo might not be unique anymore, but serves value to the record. The balance between the intricate guitar and bass work along with the intense drumming is enough of the brutality to pulverize your face with grooves and technicality. Undoubtedly, the vocals act as the prime weapon throughout the entire length of the record - Noonan’s display of both his intense highs and deep lows are flawless. A finely produced record with tracks like “Tongue Cut Oracle” and “Awakening the Despot” already being my favorite, Fleshbound’s musical prowess is evident throughout. All we can do now is wait and watch, for what the band has got for us in the near future!

Rating: 3.5/5.0

Website: https://www.facebook.com/FleshboundAR

Genre: Technical Deathcore

Worldwide Release: February 8th, 2022.