Septic Flesh The Great Mass Rare
Titan Second chances are a rare thing, and in extreme metal, they are doubly so. The music’s inherent aggression leaves many coughing up dust in their attempts to keep up with the newest thing. (or “Septicflesh”, as they prefer to stylize themselves) were one such act that met with a bold reinvention in 2008 with Communion, a monstrous album that’s since become a perennial favourite of mine. Although I never found 2011’s The Great Mass to be quite as gripping, it proved that Septic Flesh were sticking with this fusion of atmospheric death metal and full-blown symphonic orchestrations. In context, Titan feels like a sequel to The Great Mass, not continuing where the past record left off so much as it is retracing previously conquered territory. It should come as no surprise that Septic Flesh’s latest album has not impressed me nearly as much as the past two efforts from the band’s renaissance.
'Somehow, Septicflesh has surpassed even the high standard set by the last album, as 'The Great Mass' is a truly monstrous follow-up that actually deserves the. Those rare moments when only a single voice or instrument can be heard actually manage to be more epic by comparison, just through the. Hp bios master password. HEART DISEASE Ed Friedlander, M.D., Pathologist scalpel_blade@yahoo.com No texting or chat messages, please. Ordinary e-mails are welcome.
The uneven standard of songwriting and shortcoming to live up to the style’s awesome potential weigh against it, but in spite of this and a fairly lukewarm initial reception, the album has certainly seen fit to grow on me. The mere concept of symphonic death metal seems an affront to some; after all, how could a genre most often associated with the finer details of bodily mutilation and sexual deviance possibly co-exist with the most traditionally highfalutin musical aesthetic out there? Look a little closer, and the two seem possibly made for one another. The perceived noise and savagery of death metal proper offers a fascinating contrast to most orchestrations, and Septic Flesh are, to date, one of a small few that have recognized its potential.
In a recent interview I did with the band’s resident composer Christos Antoniou, he declared that Titan had been written with these orchestral touches in mind even more so than the two albums that preceded it. Although the band’s cinematic-quality symphonic arrangements once again come with care and attention to detail, I feel that Septic Flesh have taken a far more guitar-driven, band-oriented approach with this one. Septic Flesh Especially when compared to many of their contemporaries, the members of Septic Flesh seem to eschew egotism and a desire to flaunt one’s skills in the limelight. Like a noisy extension of their backing orchestra, their performances are fixed on composition and atmosphere; guitar solos are conspicuously absent from the music, a state which may leave some death metal veterans puzzled.
Their metal would likely feel bland on their own, but with the orchestrations, it’s only to the band’s credit that they’ve put aside individual motivations and let the holistic arrangement take precedent. In spite of this surprising restraint, a performance shines brightly in particular; Fotis Bernardo‘s drumwork on Titan is incredible, and honestly some of the best percussion I’ve heard on a metal album.
His technique is dynamic and refined yet thunderous beyond anything else the band has to offer — I’d offer comparisons to Mario Duplantier‘s work in Gojira, but the orchestral context of Fotis’ performance gives it a unique sound of its own. As I may have mentioned before, Septic Flesh’s fundamental template is second to none. Not only is Antoniou’s skill with orchestration excellent enough to stand on its own, Septic Flesh also know how to scale back the death metal elements to make room for it.
That brilliant foundation is part of the reason why the uneven songwriting on Titan is as much a frustration to me as it is a disappointment. “Prototype” and “Promotheus” stand out as excellent tracks with dynamic to spare, but more often than not, it feels like something is lacking. More likely than not, it’s the metal side of their sound that underwhelms me at this point. “Burn” struggles with the use of some awkward quasi-melodic vocals, and for an apparent single, “Order of Dracul” doesn’t feel particularly compelling. The guitar riffs are occasionally brilliant, but it’s rare that one would actually interest me on its own without context. Septic Flesh’s best ideas are all drawn from the orchestral pool this time around, and when compared to The Great Mass, it seems like Titan has put a greater weight on the band over the symphony. The tragedy of Septic Flesh is not that they make bad, or even mediocre music.
It’s that they usually settle for making merely good music using the fundamentals of a style that, by all means, should be incredible. Symphonic influences come a dime a dozen in extreme metal, but it’s altogether rare that a band will have the ambition, resources and musical background to make true orchestral metal fusion a reality. Communion was living proof of that potential, and while Titan still rests among the better death metal albums released this year, I cannot help but feel a little disappointed in light of its context. Track List: Disc I – Titan: 01) War in Heaven 02) Burn 3:16 03) Order of Dracul 04) Prototype 05) Dogma 06) Prometheus 07) Titan 08) Confessions of a Serial Killer 09) Ground Zero 10) The First Immortal Disc II – The Titan Symphony: 01)Dogma of Prometheus 02) A Prototype in Heaven 03) The First Immortal 04) Order of a Serial Killer 05) The Burning Rating: Written by: Label: / SOM325 / CD Symphonic Death Metal / Modern Classical.
Septic Flesh The Great Mass Download
'Somehow, Septicflesh has surpassed even the high standard set by the last album, as 'The Great Mass' is a truly monstrous follow-up that actually deserves the overused title of 'epic.' ' When a record label or PR firm sends out a press release, it’s all too easy to dismiss grandiose band descriptions as hype meant to keep people in business, whether the music is actually good or not. When Septicflesh is described as a “legendary Greek demonic horde,” it’s one time when the hype actually matches reality. The band’s last album, “Communion” , was rightly hailed as a masterpiece for its blend of death metal and symphonic elements that was both amazingly atmospheric and absurdly heavy.
Somehow, Septicflesh has surpassed even the high standard set by the last album, as “The Great Mass” is a truly monstrous follow-up that actually deserves the overused title of “epic.” While the last album seemed to have a slightly different premise and overall feel on each song, “The Great Mass” is tightly focused and maintains a clear theme throughout the entire disc. The theatrical and horror movie style elements are nearly always present, but rest assured that doesn’t mean a lack of variety. To the contrary, there’s almost too much going on in the songs, and that’s not a criticism. Huge choir chants and death metal growls work alongside black metal screams and prog-style clean male vocals. The album has all the elements that made “Communion” great, but also uses a better distribution of symphonic elements so they don’t get lost in the heavy guitars as often.
To get an idea of “The Great Mass,” imagine if all of Cradle of Filth’s or Dimmu Borgir’s over the top theatrics were channeled and re-directed into something that could actually be taken seriously and was more heavy than Behemoth. From start to finish, the songs are relentlessly massive and consistently crushing. Considering that the Prague Filharmonic Orchestra was recruited for the recording, it shouldn’t be surprising that multiple instruments, from the most symphonic to the most brutal, are constantly tearing their way out of the album and crashing against the listener. Those rare moments when only a single voice or instrument can be heard actually manage to be more epic by comparison, just through the cavernous echo from where more destructive sounds resided a moment before. There are tracks that head well off the beaten path, using interesting song structures or non-metal influences. “The Undead Keep Dreaming” is this album’s psychedelic and heavily atmospheric offering, creating a sense of being drawn, or perhaps dragged, into the music.
Septicflesh The Great Symphonic Mass Rar
“Mad Architect” is another place where the album really shines, and is a perfectly titled song. The composition of the track is completely disjointed, like a building with angles that shouldn’t work. Following in the footsteps of “Communion,” the final cut on this album, titled 'Therianthropy,' also has a different vibe than the rest of the tracks, using upbeat sounds and guitar riffs that have more in common with rock or power metal than extreme death metal. On the first listen through, the song almost doesn't fit as it significantly changes the flow of the album. After spinning the disc a few more times, the track really does earn its place among the rest of the songs, using a unique take on the idea of man being able to change into other, more bestial forms. The werewolf concept works so well with the music itself that the song actually ends up being one of the best cuts off the album once it sinks in.
For anyone who still plays “Communion” frequently, “The Great Mass” is unequivocally a release day purchase. Septicflesh has consistently raised its own bar, and the band did it again by surpassing earlier work while still maintaining the same onslaught of symphonic blended death metal that garnered the band so much praise in the past. Get more info including news, reviews, interviews, links, etc. Key Rating Description Perfection. (No discernable flaws; one of the reviewer's all-time favorites) Near Perfection.
(An instant classic with some minor imperfections) Excellent. (An excellent effort worth picking up) Good.
(A good effort, worth checking out or picking up) Decent. (A decent effort worth checking out if the style fits your tastes) Average. (Nothing special; worth checking out if the style fits your taste) Fair. (There is better metal out there).