Septicflesh: The Great Mass (2011)

Review

So, was anyone else disappointed by Therion's past few releases? And is anyone else getting sick of how far Dimmu Borgir has fallen?

Septicflesh--and their eighth full-length The Great Mass--is the answer. These Greeks do symphonic metal the right way, using a solid core of extreme metal. In fact, the band proper sounds quite a bit like Behemoth, right down to the Nergal-like death growls. But on top of that, they add symphonic elements, including strings and choral-style vocals, and they do it in a way that blends the extreme with the symphonic like nobody has done since Death Cult Armageddon. In addition, the second vocalist adds some clean vocals, in a sense filling the ICS Vortex role in the band (although plaintive rather than dramatic).


The effect is astounding. It's what Therion hinted at with "Din" on their last record, only better. It's Evangelion and Carmina Burana rearranged into a single, cohesive work. There are a couple of weaker tracks in the middle, but all in all, this destroys on a truly epic level.



The Verdict: Septicflesh is my new favorite Greek band, with a sound worthy of the neoclassical art inspired by ancient Greece, but as brutal as Rome-in-decline. I give The Great Mass 4 out of 5 stars.