Belgian death metallers Carnation are back, trading standard-issue gore tropes for a bit of existential dread with their new single, Boundless Pathways.

Serving as the gateway track to their upcoming full-length Symphony in Flesh, the new song acts as a sonic blueprint for the record while dragging lyrical themes into heavier philosophical territory. Instead of the usual splatter-film narratives, the track digs into self-reflection, identity, and the tedious friction between free will and pre-determined fate, all while wrapped in the band’s trademark heavy machinery.

To mark the album cycle, the band have also lined up a singular, exclusive release show in Flanders this year, taking over Zappa in Antwerp for an evening of heavy lifting.

Symphony in Flesh drops October 16th.

Photo by Jenny Puentes