Carnation – Symphony in Flesh Review: Death Metal from Belgium (2026)

 

Carnation – Symphony in Flesh (2026) album cover with dark horror artwork and the band's logo.



Artist: Carnation
Origin: Belgium
Label: Independent
Released: October 16, 2026
Genre: Death Metal / Thrash Metal
Rating: 6.5/10
Listen/Buy: Carnation Official Store


Carnation caught my attention right from the opening track Blackmouth. Some really good old-school thrash riffs mixed with brutal death metal, and I like this combination. Great guitars, heavy rhythms and plenty of groove. This is a promising start!

The album continues with fast and aggressive death metal, but what really works for me is the thrash influence and the melodic guitar work. The vocals are spot on, the drumming is excellent and there are some really catchy riffs here. This is the kind of death metal that makes my head bang and my feet move.

But after a few tracks, it starts to be a bit too much of the same. The riffs, tempo and song structures follow the same pattern, and I miss variation. Labyrinth of Silence brings in more melodic death metal, which is a nice change, but overall the middle part becomes a bit repetitive.

Boundless Pathways is one of the highlights for me. Especially the guitar solo, really good stuff! But the biggest surprise comes with the closing track Legacy of the Forefathers. Almost twelve minutes long, and what a fucking ending! It starts fast and aggressive, moves into some excellent guitar solos before slowing down into something almost atmospheric. Then it builds up again and finishes the album in style. Easily my favourite track here!

Symphony in Flesh is a good death metal album with some excellent thrash influences, strong melodies and great groove. I really enjoy what Carnation are doing here, but too many tracks sound alike and that brings the album down a little. The final two tracks show just how good this band can be when they mix things up.

Rating: 6.5/10

I'll be spinning more albums — stay tuned!

Hauk

Carnation – Belgian death metal band promotional photo for Symphony in Flesh (2026). Photo by Jenny Puentes.
Photo: Jenny Puentes


If you enjoyed this, check out:
Eternal Mourn – Winds of Sorrow Review
Sojourner – Gateways Review
Enshine – Elevation Review
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