SepticFlesh, a death metal band from Greece, has been very busy as of late. Not only have they just finished their North American Tour with Ex Deo and Vltimas, but they have also surprised fans with a new EP. Amphibians is available to stream right now, with two orchestral tracks on the album.
The EP consists of four songs, including Amphibians, The Experiment, an orchestral version of History Repeats Itself, and an orchestral version of The Experiment. SepticFlesh has also recently performed Infernus Sinfonica II, a full orchestral show, to a sold-out crowd in Mexico. The band took to the stage with 20 musicians, with the show marking their biggest to date.
SepticFlesh’s Approach to Mythological Songwriting
SepticFlesh have taken a new approach to the theming of Amphibians, with the album focusing on African demigods, the Nommo. In the past, however, they have largely focused on ancient Greek mythology. Their album Titan, as the name suggests, focuses entirely on Greek deities. Albums like this were pivotal for the band, as they allowed them to hone their sound while tapping into topics that were undergoing a popular resurgence.
Greek mythology, in particular, has had its peaks as a hot topic over the past few decades, with several releases showcasing its popularity. Shows like KAOS, for example, offer a modern-day take on Greek mythology, portraying Zeus as the paranoid type, fearing being overthrown. Prometheus is also a prominent figure in the show, with SepticFlesh creating a song in his namesake in 2014.
Games are also showcasing the increase in popularity of Greek mythology. Age of Mythology is a real-time strategy game that allows you to control civilisations that have been blessed by gods like Poseidon, Hades, and Zeus. You also have the Age of the Gods: God of Storms slot game. Titles like this are often available to play at a casino online, with the franchise consisting of a lot of other titles that span across different characters, including Midas, Apollo, and Medusa. The game, which features a reimagined pantheon, offers a twist to the theme. SepticFlesh’s music often takes inspiration from pantheons, as it’s not just a collection of gods, but more of a complex system of belief. This approach has allowed them to touch on Greek gods, as well as Egyptian gods, as they have done in their album Communion. With Amphibians touching on the Nommo, who are spirits worshipped by the nation of Mali, it just goes to show how broad their songwriting scope is, and how they are able to bring all of these themes together under one unified banner.
The EP Features Complex Orchestrations
An interesting thing about the new EP from Septicflesh is that it continues the band’s fusion of symphonic death metal with orchestrations, but at the same time, there are a few things that help the EP to stand on its own. You have downtuned guitars and double-kicks that run through the album, and you also have orchestrations that back nearly every track. Interestingly, the EP was composed by Christos Antoniou. He’s a founding member of SepticFlesh and studied classical composition, helping to give all of the music they do a grand quality, almost like it’s something out of a film. With that said, his work on this EP is notable, with complex orchestrations helping to push the boundaries of what they’ve done before, while blazing a new path for the band as they embark on this next chapter of their career.
