Septicflesh - Mystic Places of Dawn (reissue)
I usually try to avoid reviewing reissues the same way I attempt to dodge other unnecessary unpleasantries, such as doctor visits, court dates, vegetables, child support payments, or social interaction with human beings. But when it comes to this masterful 1994 debut from Greece’s Septicflesh (or Septic Flesh as they were known in simpler times), I feel an exception must be made. First and foremost, it’s a great record well deserving of a proper reissue. Secondly, it was one of about four Metal releases in the ’90s that didn’t make it into the pages of Metal Curse. Ahh… the print era… Now we just have to track down reissues of those other three. While this album’s production hasn’t quite stood the test of time (although 19 years ago this was considered fairly decent), the atmospheric Death Metal on display unequivocally has. Despite being ahead of their time, the heaviest hitters on the legendary Holy Records roster seem underrated in hindsight. Revisiting Mystic Places of Dawn, it’s clear that the band’s multi-layered, gloomy approach to Death Metal would serve as the inspiration for like-minded purveyors of aural awesomeness Depresy and Garden of Shadows —two underrated bands in their own right— among others. On this classic debut full-length —and on worthy successor Esoptron while we’re at it— these Greeks achieved a near-perfect balance of heaviness, aggression, dreary ambiance, and experimental quirks… something that can’t exactly be said for more recent efforts. Even amidst 666 tempo changes per song, these nine tracks maintained a cohesive focus. In retrospect, it’s amazing how these moody musical shifts had the ability to transform the consistently gruff barbed-wire roar of Spiros from a deadly blunt force weapon into a graceful thing of passionate beauty. Few bands can lay claim to a debut that is equal parts intense, solemn, and adventurous! 1991’s impossible-to-find Temple of the Lost Race EP is included as a bonus here, which is a nice gesture for the sad sack like myself who has never even seen a real copy. These four cuts showcase a younger, faster, harder, less polished Septicflesh, who even at this most formative of stages still had the tools, the talent, and the vision. Unfortunately they hadn’t quite figured out how to make it all memorable yet. Something they would significantly iron out three years later.
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