After being together for over twenty years and releasing eight albums, Greek deathmetallers Septicflesh (previously Septic Flesh) have decided to go back to where it all started, re-releasing their 1994 debut album Mystic Places of Dawn, combined with their first release, 1991’s Temple of the Lost Race EP. The line-up has remain largely unchanged since their debut- Spiros “Seth” Antoniou (vocals, bass), Sotiris Vayenas (guitars) and Christos Antoniou (guitars), with the band only adding a drummer to the mix later on.
While actually the second time it’s been reissued, this time on Seasons Of Mist, the latest version comes with some enjoyably grim new artwork. After its release, Mystic Places… was rightly held up as a classic of 90s death metal. Its mix of brutality, doom and gothic keys all woven together with razor-sharp songwriting stood out as something different. From the opening six minutes of the title-track, it’s easy to see there’s something special about this record. Intricate guitar leads play over raging blast beats before things are taken down a notch and we’re haunted by doom-laden guitars and synth.
The guitar work is sublime, the songs are adventurous, and it’s very hard to pick a highlight. Though some may balk at the idea, it’s actually easy to forget about the drum machine. Antoniou’s growling vocals add the eerie atmospherics and the mellow passages & classical samples add a different dimension to the music. While the band can and often do go all on the blast beats and heaviness, it’s the weaving of subtler ambience into the chaos that makes this record stand out. ‘(Morpheus) The Dreamlord’ is a perfect example, building from clean guitar work through doomy riffs and epic keys to finish in a frantic maelstrom.
Throughout the album, there’s lots of light and shade. ‘Return To Carthage’ charges out with furious shredding before switching to mellow passages with waves of synth. The band aren’t afraid to slow things down to a doomy pace either, ‘Chasing The Chimera’ and ‘Crescent Moon’ never get above a snails pace but the quality work from Vayenas & Antoniou hold the attention perfectly. The Temple of the Lost Race EP that makes up the bonus tracks is a welcome addition.
While for the most part it lacks the atmospherics of the album, the band makes up for it in energy, providing furious old-school thrashy death metal. The raw production lends itself to the charm of a record that still stands up well today. Older converts and die-hards will probably already own this, but the fans they’ve picked up since reforming in 2007 would do well to pick this up and see where it all began.
8.5/10
By Dan Swinhoe