We Only Die Once

German thrash metal has a certain flavour about it, certainly propagated by the teutonic icons of Sodom, Tankard, Kreator and Destruction. We expect it to be nasty, vicious, ultra-fast and evil sounding. But now there exists a thrash metal band, from south Germany, who bypass an entire ocean and take huge influence from their North American idols. Septagon have been around for less than a decade, but have made their more melodic take on the sub-genre very much their own. Despite their relative originality, a scrutinizing seasoned thrasher will be able to hear components of Flotsam & Jetsam, Annihilator or maybe even Toxik within their youthful timbre. I respect these Germans for just giving us studio album after studio album with no bullshit singles/splits/EPs/compilations/live DVDs/strawberries/beach-balls etc. Septagon mean business, and with their third album, We Only Die Once, on the horizon - now is the time to jump on board their vibrant and surprisingly catchy train.

After hearing so many super-heavy, technical and progressive thrash albums in 2021 already, We Only Die Once is a splendid palate cleanser. The approach is one of short, sweet, to-the-point catchiness but not without its moments of intrigue and surprise. The exaggeration is not on the heavy riffs (which are actually comparatively light), nor on the ultra-quick shredding (of which they display immense capability), but on writing 10 addictive and well-rounded songs that you want to sing along with and enjoy. As I do, very much, every time I give this record a spin. Opener "Demon Divine" is a great starter and very indicative of this quintet's songwriting method. The chorus is mega infectious and the energy is non-stop - so much so that following track "The Rant" kicks in before the previous song barely has a chance to finish. Markus Becker makes his presence very well known over these two numbers with his tuneful, powerful and attitude-heavy performance behind the mic. For a guy so melodically inclined, his ire in "The Rant" is very welcome indeed. It certainly helps to be so intelligible, especially for a guy whose first language isn't English.

The few times Septagon do decide to push boundaries and extend their songwriting, the results are mixed. Longest cut on the disc, the prog-tinged "Gardens Of Madness", tends to wander a little aimlessly and doesn't earn its length. However, the mini-epic "How To Kill The Boogeyman" is rife with excitement and tension, and is delivered with razor-sharp precision. This great storytelling and solid musicianship is echoed on the fantastic finale, "Ekke Nekkepenn". If that sounds like an odd title, it's based on an old German folk tale, similar to Rumplestiltskin, which gives the song a menacing edge. This track has the guitars pressed firmly down in their lower range, and the vocal patterns are totally addictive. I can't get enough of grimacing and growling 'I AM EKKE NEKKEPENN!' - easily one of my favourite songs of 2021. The relatively short runtimes definitely work in the band's favour, with tracks like "Strange Times" and "Head Held High" being almost immediately memorable. In fact, the latter is so melodic and accessible, it verges on power metal territory, and wouldn't look out of place on a Firewind album.

I always look forward to mid-paced or slower numbers in my thrash. A bit of half-time chugging does wonders for the ol' neck muscles. Unfortunately, that is sorely lacking on We Only Die Once. Thankfully, Septagon are fully in control at breakneck speed - as displayed with aplomb on the fiery "Vendetta" - but there are many crescendos that imply a breakdown may be coming up...only to be an empty promise. The otherwise great "Decision Day" is a big culprit of this. To be fair, the relatively thin guitar tone might not allow for that kind of stomping heaviness. Despite these nitpicks, the Germans certainly play to their strengths on this LP: rapid-fire melodic thrash metal with plenty of virtuosic shredding, lightning-fast double-kick attacks and anthemic refrains. However, there's an underlying aura of viciousness which I hope they capitalize on future releases. As soon as you can, get your ears around "Ekke Nekkepenn" to hear the best Septagon have to offer. Otherwise, just sit back and enjoy one of the more pleasantly accessible offerings the thrash metal genre has on the menu this year.