Think of the most terrifying nightmare you've ever had. Revel in the horror, bask in the madness. Clowns, haunted houses, murderers – whatever. It's doesn't make sense, does it? It's utterly petrifying and you don't fully understand why. If you were to bottle up that tumult of terror and grind it through a mixing desk, Septicflesh would be the sonic result.
Too theatrical for death metal, yet too blunderingly brutal for black metal, the Greek gods of noise have been desolating eardrums for over 20 years. They worked their way through a hiatus and returned with 'Communion' in 2008, arguably their best release to date. Having joined French label Season Of Mist after their reunion, a massive remastering mission was put in place to polish the festering masterpieces created before their return.
‘Ophidian Wheel’ is one of those masterpieces. The first track is called The Future Belongs To The Brave and if that doesn't give you an idea about how fucking heroic this album sounds, then perhaps we should stop right here.
There are enough riffs being thrown about to make five different songs, but Septicflesh use them sparingly and expertly, making sure that no melody outstays its welcome. Gut-wrenching death growls are all over this track, with the addition of female vocals from Natalie Rasoulis providing a genuine beauty seldom seen on the band's first two LPs.
While Rasoulis' vocals are a treat on The Future Belongs To The Brave, they are sometimes less effective. Her operatic wail on Shamanic Rite makes it seem almost comical. Basically, it sounds like she's just seen a massive spider and the microphone was left on by accident.
This slightly overblown element to the music might prove hard to stomach for straight-up death metal fans, especially along with the inclusion of weird little circus interludes and symphonic backdrops. It's not as bombastic as 'Communion' or 2011's 'The Great Mass', but it's a bit Cradle of Filth and proves to be just as polarising.
Musically, 'Ophidian Wheel' hangs tentatively between the two recognisable identities of Septicflesh. It retains the dirty atmosphere and production of the earlier releases, with the title track proving to be particularly scummy. It also shows the band's evolution into the beast they have become today. On The Topmost Step Of The Earth features clean vocals from guitarist Sotiris Vayenas, while tracks like Razor Blades Of Guilt and Heaven Below pack an assortment of guitar harmonies and galloping bass-lines not too dissimilar to Iron Maiden.
In terms of the album being presented as a re-issue, well. The updated cover art is absolutely glorious, but the remastering of the tracks doesn't make much difference. It still sounds like it was recorded in a barn full of dead animals, and that suits the music just fine. The vocals are slightly more central in the mix, but it's really a tiny detail.
Unreleased mixes of three album tracks form the basis of the bonus material, but, again, it's nothing to write home about. If you've got the album already, you needn't bother with this. If you haven't, then 'Ophidian Wheel' really is one for the Christmas wishlist. A perfect middle-ground for people who find Cannibal Corpse too full on and Cradle of Filth too cheesy, this album is an important lesson in blurring genre boundaries. Septicflesh finally began to nail their formula on this one, and looking back, it heralded the start of something truly amazing. But you already know that, because you already have it... right?
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
