Septicflesh

Greece's SepticFlesh arose during the opening years of the 1990s, forging a raw and unyielding style that drew equally from the echoing depths of doom metal and the frozen expanses of black and death metal. Over subsequent decades the group incorporated neo-classical and symphonic components, sharpening a dramatic yet ferocious method that reached its peak across key 2000s releases such as Sumerian Demons (2003), The Great Mass (2011), Codex Omega (2017), and Modern Primitive (2022).

Sotiris Vayenas on guitar, Spiros Antoniou handling bass and vocals, and Christos Antoniou on guitars assembled the band in Athens during those same early-'90s years. Their first recording, the EP Temple of the Lost Race, appeared in 1991, followed by the initial full-length Mystic Places of Dawn in 1994. Additional albums followed, highlighted by the addition of soprano vocalist Natalie Rassoulis on Ophidian Wheel (1997) and A Fallen Temple (1998), both of which signaled a shift toward symphonic death metal. In 1999 the trio enlisted producer Fredrik Nordström (Opeth, At the Gates) to shape Revolution DNA. Positive reception and successful touring led to a contract with Hammerheart, which issued Sumerian Daemons in 2003.

Despite mounting success, SepticFlesh disbanded later that same year. Christos concentrated on Chaostar, keyboardist Bob Katsionis joined Nightfall, and Sotiris launched the solo project Aenaos. After several years apart the members reconvened for a 2007 performance at Greece's Metal Healing Festival. They then aligned with Season of Mist and delivered their seventh album, Communion, in 2008. The refreshed lineup included drummer Fotis Benardo along with an 80-musician and 32-vocalist orchestra and choir. The Great Mass (2011) and Titan (2014) continued this expansive direction through further work with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, while Codex Omega (2017), the band's tenth studio album, was helmed by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Dimmu Borgir). In 2020 SepticFlesh issued the fully orchestrated live album and concert film Infernus Sinfonica Mmxix. Two years afterward they unveiled their eleventh studio effort, the richly melodic and cinematic Modern Primitive.