I’ve grown a mammoth-sized chubby for Tech-Death in recent years. I covered oodles of it last year and this one is already shaping up to be a brutal year for Tech-Death.

Allow me to introduce Fleshbore. These four crazy lads from Indianapolis have crafted a solid, beat down that will have your fucking brain leaking from your ears; and you’ll be happier than maggots on a cow’s carcass. Michael McGinley – Guitar, Michael O’Hara – Vocals, Cole Chavez – Guitar, Cole Daniels (Demon King) – Bass and Robin Stone (Evilyn, Norse) – Session Drums. The head-splitting production is courtesy of Jackson Ward – Mixing and Mastering. Then there’s that absolutely sublime album cover from Mark Erskine.

Painted Paradise is their second album and goddamn it’s a bruiser. The vocals are like nothing I’ve ever heard, Michael O’Hara sounds like he ate some bad Sushi and is regurgitating it while singing about the misery of it all.

“Setting Sun” sets the tone quickly with super tasty blast beats falling like bloody rain. The guitar has a massive tone and this track is just magnificent. There’s an actual bass guitar too, and if it’s not a fretless bass I’ll eat my own liver.

It’s a small gripe with the genre but not having a bassist is slightly annoying. I mean, you do you, but I’d rather hear a good bass guitar instead of two dudes with down-tuned guitars. But here is a real guy playing some killer bass lines.

“The World” is reminiscent of Infant Annihilator, with this amazing solo mid-track while being followed up by my absolute favorite track “Target Fixation” which has snorting pig squeals right out of the gate and the guitar work is phenomenal, with the bass leading the furious undertone.

“Wandering Twilight” is a super beefy track with this amazing riffing that is like musical DNA strands. Holy fucking shit this is fantastic, constant reader you will definitely love this album. “Inadequate” is slower, sort of. The slow down is crushing at the 4:52 mark where it’s completely submerged in sludgy goodness.

The title track is mostly mid-paced with these spastic bursts of speed coupled with the savage riffs delivered by Mr. Chavez. Painted Paradise has made me an insta-fan of Fleshbore. Final track  “Laplace’s Game” has that staccato riffing that I love, a monumental interlude around the 1:30 mark that’s incredibly brutal as the song erupts with mind twisting riffs and earthshaking double bass. Once it ends, just start the album over and get pulverized again.

With Painted Paradise Fleshbore have created a Tech-Death masterpiece. Period. This is highly recommended for you fans of Zenith Passage, Ingested, Xoth and Replacire. Get this and get beaten down!

 

[Visit the band's website]

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