Septicflesh - Codex Omega review
Band: | Septicflesh |
Album: | Codex Omega |
Release date: | September 2017 |
Disc I
01. Dante's Inferno
02. 3rd Testament (Codex Omega)
03. Portrait Of A Headless Man
04. Martyr
05. Enemy Of Truth
06. Dark Art
07. Our Church, Below The Sea
08. Faceless Queen
09. The Gospels Of Fear
10. Trinity
Disc II [Deluxe Edition]
01. Martyr Of Truth
02. Dark Testament
03. Portrait Of A Headless Man [Orchestral Version]
If you have a soft spot for symphonic death metal, Septicflesh is beyond doubt the band to satisfy your needs. Since their rebirth, the Greek lords of brutal harmony have taken the genre to a different level that other acts can only dream of and have managed to put themselves in a class of their own. Codex Omega showcases once more the mastery of their style, though without any hidden surprises to spice it up.
The collaboration with the Filmharmonic Orchestra of Prague is present again in Codex Omega and the result is a grandiose and dramatic atmosphere, bestowing on us the musical equivalent of whole cities being razed to the ground and civilizations collapsing like a pack of cards. This is achieved by a constant and recurrent cycle of the triptych: build-up, climax, release. The instrumentation is brilliant as always and the band's form is at its peak.
The album obliterates everything in its path through the first half, which features some of the best moments Septicflesh have ever produced, culminating in one of the most epic and intense tracks of their career, "Enemy Of Truth". This song is an astonishing amalgam of inspired symphonies and hellish metal and the soprano choir is sure to raise the hairs in the back of your neck. Seth Siro Anton's infernal growls combined with Sotiris's demonic clean vocals in "Dark Art" offer another gothic highlight and the soundtrack for the apocalypse continues with "Faceless Queen".
Sadly, there is a feeling of déjà-vu or, better phrased, déjà-écouté, that frequently appears in the album. "Portrait Of A Headless Man" starts by repeating the line "In a world controlled by fire" in the same way James Hetfield sings twice "And the road becomes my bride" in "Wherever I May Roam". The ghost of Metallica emerges in "Martyr" too, when, halfway into the song, the riff of "Moth Into Flame" can be clearly recognized (and it is not very original anyway). However, the most disturbing thing about "Martyr" is that it is using the same riff as "Anubis" from Communion and this is not the only unsubtle rehashing occurrence throughout Codex Omega.
To a certain extent, Septicflesh seem to be at the same crossroads as their fellow countrymen, Rotting Christ. They have honed their craft to perfection and set the bar so high that they have ended up with a formula of cloning themselves, thus not doing full justice to their undoubtedly immense musical abilities.
Fans of the last decade's Septicflesh will be pleased nonetheless, because Codex Omega is a thundering album with many awe-provoking moments and a formidable production that allows room for all instruments to shine (and there's plenty of them). It demonstrates great balance between orchestra and metal and resembles The Great Mass as far as songwriting quality is concerned. However, being the fourth consecutive release of the band in this style, it lacks the element of surprise and innovation that characterized The Great Mass and it cannot of course come close to the apotheosis of Communion. On the other hand, it is remarkably better than its predecessor, Titan, and miles ahead of most symphonic death metal albums.
"One more empty frame ready for display
On a gallery of headless portraits..."
| Written on 01.10.2017 by Only way to feel the noise is when it's good and loud! |
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