Titan

Septicflesh have earned their spot among the giants of the Greek metal scene, such as Rotting Christ, Varathron and Necromantia, with albums like "Mystic Places of Dawn", "Revolution DNA" and "Sumerian Daemons". After the band's hiatus was over they came back with a brand new style; that of a symphonic death metal act. After a streak of two great death metal albums, Septicflesh released Titan last June, reminding us once again why they are considered to be one of the driving forces in death metal worldwide.

Musically, Titan is far better than anything the band has done in the 21st century. And I say that because it is hard to compare this album to the band's earlier works, like "Mystic Places of Dawn" or "Esoptron", not only because of the differences in the musical expression but also because of the differences in the band's sound. Then, they were a black/death metal band with raw fast riffs and more harsh vocalizations. Now, their sound is cleaner (the orchestra helps a lot with that) and more versatile.

The minimal motifs of the orchestra are strikingly good, not too high in the mix and not too polished. They retain the feel of a classical recording, while the instruments that stand out are the violins and the brass with the tribal percussion serving as a manic companion to the other instruments. Once again, the band has collaborated with the FILMharmonic Orchestra of Prague (that's how its written in the liner notes) and, for the first time, with The Children Choir of Prague. This time every song features orchestral parts contrary to their previous album where the use of orchestra was not mandatory. The children choir is also a nice addition to their 'classical' arsenal. The choir sounds amazing especially in "Prototype".

Whereas "Communion" was mostly a guitar-driven album and "The Great Mass" an orchestra-driven work, the band here is much more balanced. They know what they want to do with their sound, where they want to go and how to achieve it. Thus the guitars are audible, sometimes intertwining with the orchestral parts, yet they are never overshadowed by them. Their distorted, crispy and heavy tone, builds the tension that is released by Fotis' drumming. Unfortunately there aren't as many guitar leads as in "Communion" and Sotiris is generally not that much present in Titan.

The bass holds a great portion of the sound in Titan. It sounds almost hostile at times. The basslines can be funky at some points, but for most of the time it follows the guitars instead of standing on its own feet.Spiros' vocals are distinctive and once again his performance is great. Sotiris ,while not as much present here as in the previous albums, lends his voice to some of the most touching moments of the album. Fotis' drumming is really, an ear candy. He rolls on the percussion and delivers an mind-bending cymbalwork, while the bass drums and snares create intense patterns that will get your head banging along with the beats. Once again he uses his technique, known as 'Hellblast' and proves that he is one of the top drummers in the world.

The production of Titan, does many favors to the album. It makes it sound mature, natural, organic and massive. Every instrument is carefully placed in the mix, by Logan Mader who hasn't worked with the band before, a fact that is quite surprising judging from the final result. Maybe the orchestra is a bit 'buried' under the guitars sometimes, but that doesn't occur very often. The rhythm section is robust and at times, mostly in the ultra-fast parts, rigid.

The lyrics are good but, compared to the daringness of the themes in "The Great Mass", the band seems to take a step backwards. Not that I do not enjoy the analysis of the ancient Greek mythology and its conjunction with the human nature, but I would rather read again about the suicidal God of "Apocalypse", the madman that trapped himself into his own creation ("Mad Architect") or the very personal experience of Sotiris; lucid dreaming ("The Undead Keep Dreaming"). All in all the themes here are thought provoking but not as much as I'd like them to be. And I'm still waiting for them to release a concept album! They don't seem willing to do it though.

With Titan, Septicflesh ensure that, one more fantastic album has been made and that their legacy will be even richer from now on. The atmosphere is taut and intense and from the fading violins in the beginning of "War in Heaven", to the outro of "The First Immortal" you will be enhanced to this album. With the departure of Fotis, Septicflesh are taking a big risk. Hopefully their tenth studio album will bring something new to the table, maybe a concept album that will even surpass the 40-minute album length, that the band is stuck with in their latest releases. However Titan is a victory for the Greek veterans and you will certainly enjoy it.

Favorite tracks: "Prototype", "Dogma", "The First Immortal"

92/100.