Septicflesh - Codex Omega

To think that Septicflesh has been going at it for nearly thirty years now could lessen one’s expectations for a new album from them, especially now that they have established their groove and themselves in their symphonic place in death metal. But since Communion, Septicflesh have ascended as one of symphonic death metal’s elites and the band have remained relatively consistent and at the top of their game, making some of the fullest, most visceral death metal paired with grandiose string and horn backing. Unlike Cradle of Filth whose symphonic elements are both a massive crutch and a cheap polish over unoriginal material, Septicflesh (while not exactly re-writing the book of symphonic death metal) pair their epic, classically metal compositions with similarly epic classical orchestral supplementation with a stronger sense of song-writing, not simply relying on the big sound of the orchestral backing to carry the music to greatness. Indeed, Codex Omega, like its three preceding LPs, is packed with powerful and catchy melodies in the forms of both guitar riffs and string-section motifs, “Portrait of a Headless Man” being introduced by one of the most notable string melodies, paired expertly with brooding horns, groovy guitar playing, and pummeling drumming. Of course the album does wear on to some degree, as the band do keep their sound boisterous, cinematic, and dark the entire way through. But it’s far from a homogeneous album; each song has its own character and there aren’t really notable duds on the album. All in all, Septicflesh just keep on flying high on this one, distancing themselves from any major competition.