Recenzii si topuri in care apare ultimul album SEPTICFLESH,”Communion”

Pozitia ocupata in topurile gen “albumul anului”

Album of the Year 2008

Close Up (SE) – Johnny Strömbäck #1
Scream (NO) #2
Friedhof Magazine (ES) – Skeptic #2
Metalteam UK (UK) – Pete Woods #2
Metal Hammer (GR) # 10
Rock Planet (SK) – Adela Melova #1
Metal Hammer (UK) – Malcolm Dome #3
Terrorizer (UK) – Writers’ Poll Best Album #15
Zwaremetalen.com (NL) #20
Prog Résiste (BE) #2
Loud! (PT) #7
Metal Hammer (GR) Best National Band #2
Metal Hammer (GR) Best Drummer #5
Metal Hammer (GR) Best Album #9
Mindview (NL) –#1
Heavy Rock (ES) #1
Burrn! (JP) #10
Metal Warriors (CH) Writers’ poll #36

Note obtinute la recenzii

BENELUX
Reviews
Aardschok 82/100
Rock Tribune 97/100
Mindview Platina 7/7
http://mfgreview.wordpress.com/2008/03/30/septic-flesh-communion-2008/ 9/10

Metalfrenn Gousseldeng
I was quite surprised when I read that Greece has more than 900 metal-bands. If you would ask me, I could list only one: Astarte. But maybe I listen to a lot of bands which are from Greece, and I didn’t know this ’til now…maybe. But since a few days, I could list 2 bands because I’ve discovered Septic Flesh, a Death-Metal Band from Athens. This 4 man band was formed in 1990 and “Communion” is their 7th release already…shame on me that I didn’t know them because I’ve missed one of the most diversified Death Metal Bands ever. So how should I describe Septic Flesh…It’s like an “Epic Hollywood Movie” has fucked with a modern Death Metal Band. Imagine “Damnation and a Day” (Cradle of Filth) or “Armageddon Death Cult” (Dimmu Borgir) without those lousy “Black” Metal riffs but with a lot of face-smacking Death riffs…et voilà: Septic Flesh. Arrangement: For Communion, Septic Flesh has worked together with a full orchestra which awards Communion with an enormous power and majesty. Furthermore the record sounds very varied and doesn’t bore you. There are fast songs, designed like a roller coaster drive through an expensive mythology-movie and there are more slow and dark songs, always accompanied by the complex, melodic and brutal guitar-riffs and the aggressive drum-work. Vocals: Septic Flesh has saved on nothing; the vocals are brutal as hell, even Hades would piss in his pants when the singer starts to growl. In some songs, the growls are interrupted by some clean vocals. They sound a little bit exceptional, but lend “Communion” a darker touch…nice. I’ve found nothing important to criticize; Septic Flesh knows how to entertain their fans. “Communion” is dark, huge, spectacular, brutal… a masterpiece. Buy or Die! Best Songs: Lovecraft’s Death, Babel’s Gate, Sunlight Moonlight

FRANCE
Reviews
Metallian (N°51 avril / mai / juin) ALBUM DU TRIMESTRE
Hard Rock 9.5/10
Rock Hard 8.5/10 ALBUM DU MOIS
D-Side (N°45 mars / avril)
Elegy (N°53 avril/mai)
Rock You 4/5 (mars)
Rock One 8/10
Noise 8/10
www.obskure.com 85/100 (sélection du mois de mars)
www.noise-web.com 9.5/10
www.havenmetal.com 9.5/10 ALBUM DU MOIS
www.heavylaw.com/c2007-Septic-Flesh-Communion.html 7/10
www.pavillon666.fr 9.5/10 TOP ALBUM
http://metalchroniques.fr 7.5/10
http://spellboundwebzine.free.fr 8.5/10
www.leseternels.net 16.5/20
www.metal-impact.com 4/5
www.imm3moria.org 65/100
http://auxportesdumetal.com 18.5/20 COUP DE CŒUR
www.spirit-of-metal.com 15/20
www.krinein.com 8/10
www.heavymetaluniverse.com 6/6

http://lautremonde.radio.free.fr

http://antithetik.free.fr 9/10
www.musicwaves.fr 8.5/10
www.vs-webzine.com 16/20
www.metalfrance.net 5/5
www.soilchronicles.fr/chronique.php?idc=763 8/10

GERMANY
Rock Hard 8,5/10
Metal Hammer 5/7
Legacy TIPP 12/15
Orkus 8,5/10
www.metalmessage.de/Reviews2/septic-flesh.htm 7/10
www.ancientspirit.de
www.bright-eyes.de/baseportal/CDs/kritikendetail&Id==10313 12/13
metal.de/cdreviews.php4?was=review&id=9887 8/10
www.metal-inside.de
www.metalnews.de
www.musik.terrorverlag.de
www.laut.de/lautstark/cd-reviews/s/septic_flesh/communion/index.htm 3/5
www.bloodchamber.de/cd/s/4959/ 8.5/10

GREECE

Reviews
Rock Hard: 8,5/10 soundcheck
Metal Hammer: 9/10 http://metalzone.gr/reviews.php?action=details&id=408&lang=en 95/100

JAPAN
Reviews
Burrn! 89/100 (December)

NORWAY
Reviews
Norway Rock Magazine (#1) 4,5/5
Scream Magazine 6/6
www.imhotep.no 5/6

Imhotep
SEPTICFLESH – Communion
Season Of Mist (2008)
5/6
Some say that you cannot overdo something, as the result will turn into some cheesy alienating creation that distances itself from the common man. My luck then, that I am not the common man. And in Septicflesh I have an urge to overdo myself, because they have composed perhaps the best track of 2008. “Persepolis” contains everything, as in EVERYTHING, I ever desire from a metal track. There is darkness, there is no light, there is heavy thundering from way below the surface of the earth and they have genuinely done something that gives me the shivers down my spine. But allow me first to reveal my inspiration from this release (included absolutely no real facts, just free fantasy).

I called upon Anubis
To guide the secret of Persepolis
As two hundred thousand
Came to conquer the castle

Then we, We The Gods
Called upon arms
To hold them back
Steady in line

Our secret, our Sangreal
Our treasure hidden
Beneath Babel’s Gate
To ensure its hide from view

We fought for hundred days
In Sunlight, in Moonlight
And we died in honour
As we held our Communion

For Narcissus, who found love
For Lovecraft, who found Death
For our Sangreal
Who is still hidden

Anubis couldn’t save us
But our deepest treasure
Is still alive
Now, and forever

Oh yes, the album is mighty. Apart from a few trodden paths, Septicflesh deliever the goods, or rather Gods, if you will. During this “Communion” they journey through various landscapes, be it plains filled with horrific battles, or small passages where you dare not enter due to the slaughtering angriness of the Gods for they will slay you. The music is bombastic. Over the top? Oh yes, but give me more more more… The use of an 80 part orchestra and 32 part choir is thoroughly used, and fulfil every lover of symphonic extreme metal’s wet dreams. The aforementioned “Persepolis” is breathtaking, simply a rollercoaster of a monster track. If any band overdo this track in 2008… But fear not, for there are numerous other things to digest on “Communion”. Like the bombastic beginning of “We The Gods”, which after 27 seconds turns into a blast beat only held a bit back by the vocals. For, the vocals on this album are brutal, though not of the gory kind. It’s like Spiro “Seth” Antoniou eats the microphone. And he means every word. But he sings in a rather typical Greek way, the slow yet pondering heaviness that only the Greek extreme metal bands spawn forth. The Moonspell-like “Anubis” has a part after 1.36 minutes lasting for 13 incredibly heavy seconds. Every beat is a punch in the stomach. Fantastic! However, this album is not perfect. There are some parts that disturb the dynamic approach, such as the singing of the title “Sunlight Moonlight”. The clean vocals interrupt the atmosphere, as those lighten up the track way too much. I would also say that even though the two closers “Sangreal” and “Narcissus” are good songs in themselves, they fail to impress since the former one is the mentioned “Persepolis”. It’s like, after you’ve dropped the bomb, your enemy has to drop and even bigger. The eight and ninth track are not bigger, thus the album feels a bit fading towards the end. Especially “Narcissus” is too gothic in the company of strangers. And I am a stranger. As you’ve understood, this album is tremendous and there’s much to digest. But you’ll surely remember the taste for ages…

PORTUGAL
Reviews
Underworld Magazine 4.4/5 (01/08)
Ancient Ceremonies 9/10 (N°15 September)
www.scratchthesurface.budgetzero.com.pt ALBUM OF THE MONTH

Scratch the Surface
Eighteen years ago, Greece spewed forth a dark and sinister Death Metal act named Septic Flesh, who would later reveal to be one of the most innovative and interesting bands strolling through the underground scene. Considered an integral part of a revered Hellenic movement comprised of bands like Rotting Christ, Nightfall and Necromantia, the Greeks gained a cult status on the basis of their eerily dark and superb releases punctuated with orchestral arrangements and esoteric, mythological lyrical concepts. Unfortunately, Septic Flesh incomprehensibly split up shortly after their most successful and acclaimed work “Sumerian Demons” was released in 2003 by also defunct label Hammerheart Records. Now, five years after such premature split Septic Flesh have returned to grace us with their most complete, cohesive, and bold work to date “Communion”. Featuring nine brilliant songs, “Communion” masterfully blends the brutality of Death Metal, the shimmering melodies of Dark Metal and the cinematic feeling of classical orchestrations. The chilling and disturbing atmosphere of “Communion” has certainly a cinematic scope, take for instance leadoff track “Lovecraft’s Death”, its terrifying classical string sounds and choirs could perfectly be featured in a cryptic film score like Jerry Goldsmith’s “The Omen” as it conjures up images of some bizarre scene with little Damien’s devilries. Guitarist Chris Antoniou, graduated at London College of Music with a Master’s Degree in Concert Music has definitely excelled himself in the classical compositions and in the supervision of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Prague composed of 80 musicians and 32 singers. The classical arrangements penned by Antoniou are simply marvellous and well measured, adding texture and shape to an already rich and sinister Death Metal backbone that is often interspersed with sparkling and memorable melodies, especially of the second half of “Communion”. Such contrast between melody and brutality, light and dark is really quite striking and provides a very enjoyable listening. Songs like the diverse and vigorous “Anubis”, the catchy “Sunlight Moonlight”, which has a chorus that reminds me of Amorphis “Tales From The Thousand Lakes” era, the mid-tempo “Sangreal” with its Mediterranean warmth and “Narcissus”, a song Paradise Lost could have written for the “Gothic” album, all fall into the more melodic side of “Communion”. While songs like the symphonic title track, the severe and brutally intimidating “Babel’s Gate” and “We The Gods” and “Persepolis”, which is bound to raise neck hairs with its epic qualities, all constitute the more harsher facet of “Communion”.Septic Flesh has definitely crafted a wonderful work to signal their comeback and it’s most likely it will be among the top 10 albums of 2008.

ROMANIA
Reviews
Kogainon 0.85/1 (N°10 November 2008)
www.kogaionon.com 0.85/1

Kogaionon
The Greeks’ sixth album is the most powerful and elaborated one among all released along seventeen years of history, with two interruptions included. Except the symphonic elements saturating the sound more than ever before, SEPTIC FLESH is the same Atmospheric Death Metal band we’ve got used to, without many structural changes from the beginning. The album has a mighty start, as the Industrial scent vaguely gets veiled in the multitude of orchestral, symphonic, choral elements (philharmonic orchestra of Prague, over eighty instrumentalists, thirty voices), while Spiros’s voice is the same guttural and brutal one as in the past, and the guitars enhance the Epic expressivity, yet remaining as melodious as before (alike Mackintosh’s in PARADISE LOST early times), plus a very dynamic battery… I also uncover some normal voices, but they are quite pale and lacked in inspiration. After the first half, the tracks turn more technical, more composed, the symphonic elements vanish, and everything becomes a damn good sounding Melodic Death Metal with Gothic scents, yet one without any personality of its own. The sole element giving identity to the band remains the brutal, but very inspired voice, even though it doesn’t insist on inflexions, but prefers the extreme linearity. A special album, an excellent conceived step for this reunion, and the quartet certainly is a smart choice for every concert organizer.

MAXIMUM ROCK

SEPTICFLESH
„Communion”
Season Of Mist – 17.03.08
Grecii de la Septicflesh, grup format în ’90 şi cunoscut sub titulatura de Septic Flesh, revine în 2008 cu un „nou” nume şi cu un excelent produs înregistrat în faimosul studio Friedman din Suedia, lucru ce se simte din plin. Materialul, plin de energie, începe în forţă cu „Lovecraft’s Death”, unde găsim refrene bombastice executate de corul şi orchestra filarmonică din Praga şi aranjamente de clape foarte bine gândite de creierul acestei trupe, Chris Antoniou. Piesele continuă în aceeaşi manieră, cu multe ruperi de ritm, ce fac ca ascultătorul să rămână mereu în priză. Materialul se încheie cu „Sangreal”, în care elementele orchestrale sunt înlocuite cu vocea clean marca Sotiris şi „Narcissus”, şi „Narcissus”, o piesă clasică de black metal. După o ascultare a acestui material pot spune că trupa a pus pus foarte mare accent pe părţile orchestrale, rezultatul fiind să-i zicem un… black metal orchestral, ce aduce foarte mult a coloană sonoră de film. Deşi materialul este format din nouă piese, acesta este destul de scurt, sub 40 de minute, dar bine aranjat, astfel încât acest „minus” este insesizabil.
Nota: 9

METALFAN.RO
TRUPA: SepticFlesh
ALBUM: Communion
FORMAT: CD
DATA APARITIEI: 2008
CASA DISCURI: Season of Mist Nota: 9
COMPONENTA:
Spiros Antoniou (Seth) – voce, bas; Sotiris Vayenas – voce, chitara; Chris Antoniou – chitara, sampler; Fotis Giannakopoulos – tobe
Dupa 2 despartiri si reuniri, grecii de la Septic Flesh revin intr-o forma de zile mari, o mica modificare la eticheta – mai precis, Septic si flesh au devenit un singur cuvant – si una mai mare la casa de discuri.
Desi compus si lansat la mare distanta de ultimul lor album inainte de cea de-a doua despartire, Communion este o continuare, mai in forta, mai dens si mai in viteza, a retetei stilistice propuse de Summerian Daemons (2003). Mai precis este vorba de un stil avangardistic la confluenta death-black cu doze ceva mai reduse de industrial si elemente simfonice cat cuprinde, de partea simfonica fiind responsabili corul si orchestra din Praga (mai precis 32, respectiv 80 de suflete), care se pare ca s-a specializat in colaborarile cu formatiile de gen.
Prin profesionalismul si precizia executiei, prin compozitia inspirata si imbinarea creativa a diferitelor elemente stilistice, Communion este pur si simplu o lectie de muzica in tonalitati sumbre, intunecate pana la macabru, pline de forta si dramatism. Cele 9 piese ale albumului se bazeaza pe un nucleu comun de aranjamente orchestrale apartinandu-i lui Chris Antoniou, totusi schemele difera si raman impreviziibile de la o piesa la alta. Intregul album este construit pe ideea unei opozitii-colaborari intre schelaria agresiva si rapida death-black sustinuta de un inventar destul de redus dar inspirat de riffuri si de tobele, la fel de inspirate in context ale lui Fotis, si, pe de alta parte, aplicatiile melodice si simfonice bombastice si dramatice pana la monumental (vezi de exemplu, Lovecraft’s Death sau Persepolis), idee preluata uneori si in interpretarea vocala prin combinatia de growl (Seth) si clean – Sotiris (vezi de exemplu Sunlight Moonlight sau Sangreal). Ritmul sustinut pare sa incetineasca pe ultimele doua piese, Narcissus alunecand pana la tonalitati dezolante si abundand in melodie.
(+) imbinare excelenta de black-death si simfonic si coral, piese clar conturate, feeling din plin
(-) albumul dureaza doar 38 de minute; personal as fi vrut mai multa varietate
G.A.S.

METALACT.COM
Septic Flesh- Communion [2008]
Am asteptat acest album de cand am aflat ca Septic Flesh s-au reunit iar acum nu-mi pare rau ca am asteptat atat. Un album excelent, ce continua povestea inceputa de Revolution DNA si continuata de Sumerian Daemons, dar care fata de predecesoarele sale are un plus acustic. Este bine gandit si structurat iar elementele atmosferice sunt mult mai bine puse la punct. Cauza poate fi si orchestra formata din 80 de muzicieni si corul de 32 de cantareti cu care Septic Flesh a colaborat.
Septic Flesh sau SEPTICFLESH? Oricum s-ar denumi ei tot raman in elita metalului modern iar creatiile lor devin din ce in ce mai bune. Acest album tinde sa-ti creeze senzatia de dependenta. Dependenta fata de atmosfera mistica bine inchegata in echilibrul dintre armonie si brutalitate al acestor compozitii. As vrea sa pot spune ca este inovativ dar Sumerian Daemons a facut introducerea catre aceasta lume.
As vrea la fel sa comentez fiecare piesa in parte caci am multe de spus si de apreciat dar m-as lungi mult prea mult decat imi permite spatiul. In evidenta ies Annubis, Persepolis si Sunlight Moonlight care dupa parerea mea sunt arta in cea mai pura forma. Sunlight Moonlight combina exceptional growl-urile si clean vocals-urile, as putea zice ca este o capodopera a genului. In Persepolis orchestra isi subliniaza prezenta foarte bine. Nu e ceva nou, in aria metalului, ca o trupa sa colaboreze cu o orchestra dar cei de la Septic Flesh au avut un plus de geniu in compozitie. Ideologia sumeriana isi gaseste si acum loc in partea lirica si parca vrea sa continue povestea neterminata din 2004.
Cred ca aceasta pauza binemeritata si-a facut aratat efectele abia acum. Dupa 4 ani, aceasta trupa ne loveste in adancul simturilor cu un material ce are mari sanse sa devina albumul anului. Fara pic de remuscare voi acorda nota 10 acestui album, dar este un 10 binemeritat si muncit. Grecii sunt pe drumul cel bun iar daca vor continua tot asa vor ajunge cu siguranta monstri sacri ai acestui gen.
10/10
Magus

RUSSIA
Reviews
Dark City 5/5 (N°47 Winter 2008)

SPAIN
Reviews
Rock Hard 8.5/10 (N°18 March)
Kerrang 5/5 (N°173 April)
Elegy 9/10 (N°10 March / April)
www.hallofmetal.com (upon release date)
www.friedhof-magazine.com (upon release date)
www.friedhof-magazine.com/top-10.php?col=a_lie_called_life&anio=2008 Top 10 #2
www.hell-awaits.com (upon release date)
www.pieceofmetal.com (upon release date)
www.rocktotal.com 8/10
www.themetalcircus.com 9.2/10

SWEDEN
Close Up 4th position

TURKEY
Reviews
ZOR 9/10

UK
Reviews
Terrorizer 9/10 (April issue)
Zero Tolerance (issue 022, street date March 15th)
Metal Hammer 7/10 (N°178 May)
Rock sound 9/10 (N°107 March)
www.musiquemachine.com 5/5

Musique Machine
Strings/ classical elements and metal have always been difficult bed-fellows with often the strings been used as a gimmick with little sonic understanding of how or where to use them, or the metal elements are too underplayed losing their power. Communion is one of the better more consistent and well rounded mix of these two dramatic and sonic powers. The Strings, choirs etc are used here with a really understanding for there dramatics, atmosphere and power, there never over used or just throw in for good measure. This is a perfectly oiled metallic machine that darts through Black Metal, Death Metal, prog metal, gothic metal and more harmonic metal fields with the classical elements working to strengthen, power-up and build cinematic edge. There’s a nice mix of riff pace and sonic variation present through out with the singer managing guttural blacked growls, whispered horror and all the way down to tuneful, heroic yet still powerful clear singing. The symphonic elements used are supplied by the Philharmonic Orchestra of Prague and go from dark powerful banks of sawing cinematic strings, doomy brass power, descending blacked choirs, to sinister building more complex and atmospheric mix of strings, brass and choir. The tracks are kept short and sharp with the nine track album lasting just shy of 40 minutes, With each track been packed full of memorable, powerful and chugging riff craft and perfectly woven classical power and blacken grace- making it very difficult to choose highlights here. With out doubt one of the Metal albums of this year managing to sound fresh, atmospheric yet still true to its metal roots. With its appeal been wide ranging with-in all faiths of metal’s church and I can also see this appealing to soundtrack fans too.