Septicflesh – Titan

Stunning Greek Architecture

Fully orchestrated heavy metal is always a gamble. On paper it seems like natural pairing—the grandiose and the grotesque, the expansive and the claustrophobic, all entwined in rolling movements of drama and dread and cataclysm. But in practical terms these ventures always face the same essential obstacles. First, the bottleneck rule of recorded music. For each violin, French horn and timpani added to the mix, some element of the heavy metal core must be compressed or attenuated. A pluralized non-loudness is the risk. Second, the actual composition of the damn thing. Who writes the symphony? How do the musicians come up with movements that are cohesive and dramatic, while retaining the essential heaviness of metal?

Greek symphonic metal veterans Septicflesh are happy to take on this challenge. They know that when a metal-orchestral collaboration is even partially successful, it’s an event. Who can forget Metallica’s S&M? Dimmu Borgir’s Death Cult Armageddon? Or Waltari’s eclectic, under-appreciated Yeah! Yeah! Die! Die! (Death Metal Symphony in Deep C)? Septicflesh, however, are not some orchestra newbies out for a novelty or a one-off. Titan, the band’s (whopping) ninth full-length album—and their third recorded with the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra—showcases a band that’s comfortable painting with a broad sonic palette. Although there are a few awkward or bland passages here or there, they fall to insignificance in the face of the sheer awesome power that animates the best moments of Titan.

Thematically,Titan rehashes the same warmed-over mythology and pulp-genre storylines that have been the subject of heavy metal for decades. Songs with titles like “Prototype,” “Prometheus” and “Confessions of a Serial Killer” bear the requisite lyrics (“Confessions of a serial killer / The flashbacks make me shiver”). But my, oh my, how it all sounds! Grooves! Melodies! Choirs! Blastbeats! Horns! Growls! Strings! Riffs! The ingredients are many, and they’re spread on the canvas in patterns that are often striking and exquisite.

For example, lead single “Order of Dracul” maintains an intriguing balance between dramatic adventure and impish playfulness, interrupting its fast-riffing and growling mountain climb with whimsical trills, and at one point, an incongruous violin-harpsichord duet bracketed by flatulent horns. There’s pounding, syncopated orchestral percussion, and loving tendrils of the string section eventually wind themselves around the barreling main riff. There are plenty of other highlights, like the colossal duels between elephantine brass and blasting metal riffs that mark “Prototype,” or the gorgeous string-led, choir-and-metal augmented coda of “Confessions of a Serial Killer.”

What makes Titan so damn enjoyable is Septicflesh’s knack for arrangement and variation. They know the fundamental value of groove and contrast, of a rhythmic shift or a striking chord change delivered at the perfect time. They know how to alternate passages of unadorned metal with fully orchestrated glory. Most crucially, Septicflesh know when to move on to the next part; the abundance of well-executed, well-timed transitions on Titan are what make it such an eminently listenable album.

Is Titan perfect? No. There are parts where it feels like the band and the orchestra are sort of wandering around and bumbling into each other, and a few of the songs, like “Burn” and “Prometheus,” drag into blandness, but these are uncommon, forgivable offenses. Titan is a very strong album, conceptually simple perhaps, but long on moments that are engrossing, memorable, sweeping, and just plain fun. Septicflesh and the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra have composed a minor masterpiece, a work that’s well worth your time and consideration.