Greek symphonic death metal quartet SEPTICFLESH are back with album number nine, Titan. This is the first of what I hope will be many for Prosthetic Records as they are the perfect label for a band such as this. Now, before we go any further…are SEPTICFLESH breaking any new ground with this record? That would be a resounding “NO”. Still, one can’t help but love their way of taking death metal and really giving it an epic feel. In fact, if Hollywood wasn’t so tight-assed, they should be using a fuck-ton of the band’s songs in movies! Ahhh, anyway let’s take a look at Titan, shall we?
What I loved from the very first spin was “Order of Dracul” It made me want to break windows and bite unsuspecting victims. It is so beautifully primal that you will find yourself wanting the same thing, trust me. “Prototype” was arguably my favorite because it also appealed to my baser instincts, only this time I just wanted to break shit with this fucker on REPEAT (don’t TELL me I have anger issues, that’s old news!) The album opens in typically bruising fashion with “War In Heaven” and the blast beats chop-socky you like crazy during “Burn”, another one I highly recommend.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about “Dogma” at first, but it, like some parts of this record, was a grower. And it wound up being another favorite. It’s got a very atmospheric, lost in the woods while it’s snowing quality that immediately resonated with me. Same thing with “Prometheus” and “The First Immortal”; the one thing these three songs have in common is the clever use of a choir to really make you feel like you’re right there, immersed in the music. And that really is the mark of good songwriting, I think. Title track “Titan” is without a doubt the biggest punch-you-in-the-mouth song on the album and it helps keep you from getting TOO caught up in the atmospheric reverie.
However, one listen to “Confessions of a Serial Killer” and you’ll be sucked right back into that symphonic nirvana that SEPTICFLESH deliver again and again. That’s not to say the song isn’t heavy as fuck, because it most certainly is. But it’s hard not to get hypnotized by it. And once again “Ground Zero” reminds you that for all the cool symphony and choir stuff at the end of the day SEPTICFLESH is a fucking DEATH METAL BAND capable of ripping your goddamn face off and wearing it in front of you while you bleed out!!
I’m no expert on this band, I’m just a fan. But what I do know is: Titan is a great SEPTICFLESH album. Will it make you forget their other works? No. But will it provide a listening experience that you won’t hear in many other places? Absolutely. And sometimes that’s all you need. Case closed. Chapter ended. Book done. It’s out now, so grab your copy and let me know what YOU think, huh?
STANDOUT TRACKS: “Prototype”, “Order of Dracul”, “Dogma”, “Titan”, “Ground Zero”
RATING: 8.5/10
