Monday, October 31, 2011

Septicflesh - Esoptron [1995]

If Mystic Places of Dawn was an indication (as it proved to be), Septicflesh was a band destined to do great things, and it wasn't long before a similarly sanguine followup was delivered. Esoptron relies less on an all-consuming atmosphere, instead providing a panorama of doomy death metal prowess. There's this sort of medieval gothic vibe beginning to emerge here (most prevalent on brief interludes like "Celebration"), a factor that would dominate Septicflesh's following release, Ophidian Wheel. The sound is still archaic and ageless, but the overall effect of Esoptron evokes less wonder and mystique than its predecessor. Nonetheless, Esoptron shines with striking power; every album by this impeccable band is worth hearing, and it should come as no surprise that this one is no exception.

The production values have been vastly improved, though the tone does emit dryness when that siren of a lead guitar isn't shedding some sunlight on this haunting trek through Hades. This remains the most astounding facet of Septicflesh: the arresting beauty that manages to permeate its way through the depths of the band's deep, guttural darkness. This is achieved once again by excellent synths and keyboards, especially notable on "Narcissism," which is quite a daunting experience in itself. A nine minute journey across an abstract realm, the song brings just about everything Septicflesh had and combines it into one slow, progressive churn through the gothic landscape, adding in some eerily effective clean vocals just for good measure. That's one hell of a way to end an album.

Elsewhere, the album operates on a more concise level than that epic or even the debut, presenting songs around the 4-5 minute range with no lesser impact. "Ice Castle" in particular chills to the core with its building, sorrowful tension, containing emotionally dynamic melodies swarming all around in a suffocatingly moving blizzard. And it does all that while scarcely progressing beyond midpace. In fact, if you haven't noticed already, Esoptron always moves along with a patient, leisurely stride, never busting into unnecessary sections of speed. The title track follows this method, beggining with a rather pedestrian riff, but it all pays off when each of the individual layers come together to form a truly euphoric feast of musical delight.

Esoptron lies in a somewhat uncomfortable place in the Septicflesh discography, smashed in between the two near-flawless masterworks of Mystic Places of Dawn and Ophidian Wheel, but it easily holds its own (and your attention) for the modest 43 minute runtime. It's an album I quickly dismissed upon first listens, a mistake that could be made with several of their releases, but when given time to grow, Esoptron crawls within the recesses of the mind and takes sieze. Who knows, my marks for this one might just keep going up; I certainly haven't grown tired of it yet. Various production and distribution issues plagued this band until the release of Revolution DNA, and these early albums still haven't received the remaster or even rerelease treatment they've always deserved. Hopefully their newfound popularity will thrust these releases back into the spotlight.

   Overall: 8.5/10 (Great - the light with the dark)

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Septicflesh - Mystic Places of Dawn [1994]

After experiencing the marvelous grandiose of The Great Mass, an album which converted me to an avid Septicflesh fan, you can imagine my surprise when I voyaged into the enormous back catalogue of this fantastic Greek death metal band only to find the group drastically different yet equally wondrous. Mystic Places of Dawn sports a fitting name, representing both the dawning of a new, suffocating vision along with the mind-bending mystery surrounding it. It's an album cloaked in melancholic beauty, churning deep with macabre doom riffs and a crestfallen atmosphere so penetrating that it breathes life into its own murky corridors. Almost nowhere to be found are the potent symphonic elements so prevalent on later albums like Communion; this is a pure ritual founded on the flesh and blood of ancient gods.

That doesn't mean, however, that the album offers nothing more than a droning atmosphere. The amount of effective melodic hooks is surprising considering the overall vibe of sadness here, providing a perfect balance of memorable songwriting and overwhelming grief. This effect is mostly provided by the sharp lead guitars, which are so acute I'd swear they could slice right through steel. When I think about Septicflesh, all I can feel are those lucid leads piercing my inner being. Elsewhere, some practical synths lie beneath the rest, serving to enhance an already expertly layered sound with even more intricacy; and although Sotiris's excellent clean vocals hadn't quite been realized yet, Spiros Antoniou's urgent growl still adequately presents the band's eloquent prose. Lyrically the band was soon to reach its height with the wonderful Ophidian Wheel, but the themes and and elegant lines of poetry here still surpass most of those who speak English alone.

In terms of death metal songcraft, Septicflesh stand alone on their own creative plateau. Even on the debut, the ideas were fully formed and ready to go. Highlights? Almost everything. "Return to Carthage" buzzes in the bottom end and goes at blazing speed until the magical chorus arrives, mesmerizing with its romantic leads and synths. "Chasing the Chimera" is an all out doom fest, twisting and turning its way to the shores of victory, almost introspective in its up-and-down delivery. "The Underwater Garden" feels as if it was recorded in its titular location. The best riff of the entire album appears on "Morpheus (The Dreamlord)," a crushing wonder of a song that features impeccable violin accompaniment during a whimsical midsection. "Mythos" contains nine minutes of simple, symphonic ambiance, and it never gets boring for a second. This arrangement is absolutely genius and must be heard to be believed.

Mystic Places of Dawn is one of the better debuts ever recorded and remains a highlight of the genre itself. I don't believe it's quite this band's crowning jewel, as The Great Mass and Ophidian Wheel aim even higher and achieve greatness in arguably superior ways, but that's the great thing about Septicflesh: each of their albums is so different it can be enjoyed on its own independent level. A varying style is played on every other record of theirs, so chances are, there's at least one among them for everybody. I just happen to enjoy them all. This album does possess a couple of weak points, like the brief, seemingly out of place "Behind the Iron Mask." The production is technically terrible, sounding muddled and noisy beyond its years, but don't let that keep you from discovering the beauty within. Get this now if you can.

   Overall: 9.25/10 (Outstanding - the song of the muse will be heard)

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Iced Earth - Dystopia [2011]

Iced Earth is one of the most frequently detracted bands in all of the metal kingdom, and a brief glance at their recent discography would make it clear as to why. Whether the burden takes the form of reused (and entirely mediocre) riffs, phoned-in vocals, or the lack of quality songwriting, Jon Schaffer always seems content to release any third rate crap he can while maintaining his unchallenged status of ubiquitous derision. As a result, Iced Earth moved to my 'bands to ignore' list for quite some time; however, my interest was renewed with the announcement that former Into Eternity vocalist Stu Block had joined the group's ranks. A frontman with great range and power, Stu was certain to add some needed youth to this moldy outfit. He has, but that isn't all that makes Dystopia a surprise winner.

Those expecting any significant newfound aggression or technicality to be taken from Stu's other band definitely shouldn't. Aside from some occasional growls and background screeches found seldom within, Iced Earth has changed little either musically or vocally. This house is still built upon simplistic, charging rhythms, gritty pipeworks, and hyper-melodic choruses; the simple difference this time is that those elements actually create a good foundation to build up some music of merit -- no stupid, pointless concept in sight and little bewildering patriotism included, I might add. Stu ranges everywhere from Barlow dead ringer to The product gives off a feeling of conciseness this band has long lacked, even if not every moment is a spectacle of originality and greatness. Dystopia does what it does, and it does what it does well. If one accepts this, than the album is quite enjoyable.

Oh, and the majority of the songs totally rock. The title track proves a suitable opener, overcoming its predictably structured form to spellbound with a chorus that should leave any old fan qualmless. "Anthem" takes Jon's standard track two position: a slow, anthemic (duh) tune with balladic tendencies. Still, the superb execution helps this one stand out. The first of two sub three minute songs, "Boiling Point" speeds things up a little bit without taking longer than it needs to. "Anguish of Youth" is probably my favorite here, an admittedly cheesy ballad with equally florid lyrics, but I can't help but love it due to a chorus I could only describe as "catchy as fuck." I've gone full days with these goddamn lines coursing through my mind and moving soundlessly over my lips:

"The tragedy still haunts her
The pain she cannot bear
She wants to laugh
She wants to live
Free from a life of despair"

Seriously, those lyrics are borderline awful and this song still has me singing them. "V" doesn't fare badly, either, its simple victory cry piercing straight into your psyche. "Dark City" enters with an eye-rollingly Iron Maiden worshipping intro, but creeps its way through a fitting atmosphere to claim the crown. "Equilibrium" progresses in a similar way to its predecessors, but the formula stays fresh thanks to its particularly puissant energy. The same cannot be said for "Days of Rage," a workmanlike, heavy-for-heaviness's-sake trial whose short length can't even save it. "End of Innocence" is a nice reprieve from that brainless debauchery, almost (but not quite) topping Symphony X's track of the same name. As usual, Iced Earth rounds it all out with an epic. "Tragedy and Triumph" isn't up to code, however, offering too little musical payoff to make up for its shopworn lyrical themes this time around. It's an overlong, lame closer to an otherwise great album.

Still, Dystopia is finally something to be proud of. There are melodic hooks to be found almost everywhere across this wartorn battlefield, and in the end, Iced Earth win a noticeably decisive battle. Eliminate some of the dumber lyrics and irrelevant "heavier than thou" moments and we could be talking about an even greater beast right now. There are numerous entries in the genre I would place ahead of Dystopia this year, but if you can tear yourself away from Tales of the Sands, Iconoclast, or Heavenly Ecstasy for a few minutes, I think Iced Earth's latest offering is well worth a few listens. It's about damn time.

   Overall: 7.75/10 (Good)