Fleshgod Apocalypse

Francesco Paoli lifts the lid on the symphonic death metal masters’ most vicious and vivacious cycle of songs thus far

By Gregory Adams

After nearly a decade of delivering brute-force blasts from behind his drum kit, Fleshgod Apocalypse’s Francesco Paoli has strapped on a custom Rufini guitar and stepped up to the mike for the sextet’s fifth epic full-length, Veleno. This just means everything is back in its right place, with the symphonic death metal group’s principal songwriter having handled those same roles all the way back on their 2009 debut, Oracles. Speaking from his home in Perguia, Italy, Paoli explains with an incredulous laugh that handling the backbeat was originally intended to be a temporary measure. Though he’d always been meshing grave-desecrating metal licks with near-heavenly melodies behind the scenes, he’s happy to be back to the front of the stage after a long hiatus.