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Septicflesh > Έσοπτρον > Reviews
Septicflesh - Έσοπτρον

From mystic places towards the inner mirror of the soul - 82%

colin040, May 23rd, 2020

Whereas Mystic Places of Dawn felt like a journey towards ancient civilization that praised the myths of old, Έσοπτρον would be a more introspective offering. While it lacks the grandeur and riff-tastic attack of its predecessor, it still manages to capture the essence of a once great band that unfortunately has undergone some massive changes over the years.

Sandwiched between the more elaborated debut album and the versatile Ophidian Wheel, Έσοπτρον sounds more stripped down than its predecessor, but also far more consistent than its successor. The title track starts open up with a slightly generic riff, but things quickly manage to change for the best through a series of harmonized, yet unusual guitar wizardry and who could forget those incredible mesmerizing guitar leads before the track turns into a battlefield of blasting drums and dominant riffing? Incredible stuff – the best tune you’ll find on Έσοπτρον.

From here, Έσοπτρον discovers a variety of ideas that were previously unknown, even if this is without a doubt a cohesive record. Interludes, clean vocals and acoustic guitars even hint an interest in Dead Can Dance and the and the ethereal beautiful ‘’Ice Castle’’ sees the band using their new-fond inspiration in the best way possible. Guttural growls of Spiros contrast with the chanted cleans of Sotiris around some tranquil acoustic passages and dreamy leads…resulting into a smooth, yet emotionally crafted piece of work. Although not quite as dour as Mystic Places of Dawn, Septic Flesh still reach out for death metal’s famous ingredients while aiming for unusual results, even if this album does appear slightly lightweight when compared to its predecessor. The relaxing ‘’Eyes of Set’’ opens up with an exotic, yet somewhat seductive lead melody and from thereon never turns into a serious riff monster, nor does it resemble anything very impressive on an emotional level. Having that said, ‘’Rain’’ reminds you Septic Flesh still had a thing for elegant brutality at this point; first carried on by blastbeats and relatively speedy tremolo riffs, while the tune ends on a serious high, if melodic note thanks to the humming guitar leads that are seriously addictive.

Despite its introspective leanings, Έσοπτρον rarely turns into a bad trip with no substance and it’s not until the very last track that I’m getting a little frustrated as well as confused. ‘’Narcissism’’ tries to incorporate the Dead Can Dance influences Septic Flesh had tried out on earlier tracks here once again, but this time the results are mediocre. While I’m fond of the song referring to several earlier segments of Έσοπτρον, it’s definitely the worst song here, as the Dead Can Dance segments connect anything but fluently to the actual heavier parts that were made out of death metal riffing and melodic leads. Not exactly the best way to end an otherwise solid record…but whatever.

From a production perspective, Έσοπτρον sounds like a clear upgrade once compared to its predecessor. The guitars sound more synthetic here, but suit gloomy and mystique direction Septic Flesh were heading into. Most importantly, the drums sound far better organized here while a drum machine is still being used, they’re far less irritating. At last it's worth mentioning the bass; it's not very audible in general, yet the wonky tone of it is quite something and it makes that individualistic bass line in ‘’Eyes of Set’’ sound so goofy I can’t help but chuckle every time I heard it. Of course as with plenty of early-to-mid-90’s Greek extreme metal albums a perfect production job was rarely idealized, but it’s worth mentioning nonetheless. Nitpicking aside - Έσοπτρον does more good than harm and it’s very much worth checking out.

The Inner Mirror - 99%

psychoticnicholai, January 6th, 2017
Written based on this version: 1995, CD, Holy Records (Digipak)

There are those albums that just capture the spirit of darkness so thoroughly that it soaks into your mind and draws you into the world that it creates. It weaves harmonies from melody upon melody and makes you take in the gloom it displays. Esoptron by Septicflesh is one of those of albums. It's a big, stoic, gloomy, mystic, and rustic affair that captures the essence of melody in death/doom metal with strong compositions, deep atmosphere, and emotions. It's also a forlorn journey into magic and the mind through use of trudging, smooth-flowing melodies and a foggy production that only highlights the imposing and sinister, yet serene sounds of Esoptron.

What Septicflesh go for here is an album full of darkness, melody, and atmosphere. Esoptron makes great use of layered melodies and harmonization with how the guitar with its different effects, the bass, and the synthesizer run alongside and complement one another. This harmonization is used to its fullest extent on almost every song on here to create a signature sound that feels epic and ethereal while maintaining the aura of a dirge. The production also helps with making this album feel very mystical and rustic, as if these are compositions that were meant to sound as old as they do. The synthesizers sound extremely primitive and the guitar mix is deep and clear while still being extremely raw. This album succeeds in feeling like an unearthed artifact from some long lost era of cyclopean imagery. Songs like "Esoptron" with its gothic melodies, "Rain" with its fast blast beats and riffs accented by soaring, ethereal synth passages, and "Succubus Priestess" with its strangely groovy drumming and slow-trudging riffs deliver us several pieces of music with a dreamlike quality that's heavy on the darkness and melodies. Esoptron can sound downright relaxed at times while still being very gloomy, to the point where it feels like it can influence your dreams while listening, which makes it all the more shocking when faster parts begin. This is a very deep and challenging album with all of this happening in a continuous stream and still feeling cohesive.

When you talk about the dreamlike and rustic feeling of Esoptron, there's quite a bit of detail you can go into. The synthesizer interludes all sound solidly composed, but have production that makes then sound either mystical or medieval. The riffs of the title track have a rhythm of swaying and swinging, despite conjuring images of stone towers shrouded in fog. "Narcissism" has a very slow melody that sounds like something a bard would play on the way to a funeral. The whole album is steeped in a somber and surreal tone which makes it perfect for listening to alone at night. It's all very grim and morbid, but at the same time elegant and easygoing in its exploration of fear, the mind, and surrealism. While it may take a while to stick with you, this is an album that really leaves an imprint.

Esoptron is a dark and masterful piece of atmospheric death metal that I can't recommend highly enough. This is a potent mixture of the gloomy, the magical, the ancient, and the gruff. It is a slow, imposing, and still grandiose album despite the ancient-sounding synths and raw production, which actually end up helping it. Atmosphere is king on this record, but riffs and composition aren't neglected either. The composition on here is great with large amounts of tempo and instrumental shifts that all sound smooth and natural. It also makes some of the best usage of layering and harmonies out there, with all instruments methodically working in unison to produce this imposing gloom. Every song has something to offer, and even the interludes add something with their ghostly and bizarre tones. This is something you should experience, it's very much worth it.

Mirrored Dimensions - 85%

GuntherTheUndying, August 16th, 2013

Whereas "Mystic Places of Dawn" sounds like an expedition through the ruins of an extinct civilization of Lovecraftian lore, "Esoptron" (or "Εσοπτρον") is more of an introspective journey into the unconscious and the arcane. Septicflesh (or Septic Flesh, or whatever) had taken an atmosphere-rich analysis of the death metal blueprint throughout "Mystic Places of Dawn," revealing a world of mythical, violent magic that planted the groundwork for seasons to come. "Esoptron," while taking spiritual fragments from the first Septicflesh offering, flies out of the ashes with minor glazes of doom-laden oils and gothic tendencies à la Paradise Lost gracing its strange and ethereal flight into the gray world of the forgotten and the macabre. "Esoptron," the Greek word for mirror, is an ancient reflection showing a Septicflesh reaching beyond the void, and the cabalistic entity which reaches back.

Although grandiose, "Esoptron" stacks up awkwardly against its predecessor and "Ophidian Wheel." It is a step down in terms of content, yet two steps forward in creative vision—a vice Septicflesh frequently exercised during its original run. Here, the design boasts a simpler construct of mid-paced riffs and melodies cooking slowly beneath Spiros Antoniou's excellent vocals and the expected obscurity of Septicflesh. Generalizing the record with a sentence or two, of course, fails to capture the overall picture of "Esoptron," yet the focus is rooted in the dreary semblance of dark, mysterious songs that are thickly covered in tension and atmosphere. The title track is a perfect example of the band's direction, relying on simple riffs, mild folk/gothic touches, sultry guitar leads, ghostly clean vocals, unparalleled intensity, the nameless atmosphere of hidden mysteries unearthed.

"Esoptron" carries over many facets of Septicflesh's barbaric genetics, usually conducted through blast beats and fierce riffing inherited from "Mystic Places of Dawn," although lightly suppressed compared to its predecessor. "Rain" and "So Clean, So Empty" are the heaviest of the bunch, focusing more on death metal riffs and blast beats than the others; they're still undeniably Septicflesh's children, however. As for favorites, I've been more inclined to teeter towards "Ice Castle" and its dynamic use of clean guitars along with the nine-minute "Narcissism," which is stuffed with an ancient folk coat and the record's finest melodies, over numbers that are regionally traditional such as "The Eyes of Set" or "Burning Phoenix," although these offerings will find no quarrel on my end.

The interludes ("Astral Sea," "Celebration") are folksy and cryptic. The former's earthly chimes are bizarre yet make a frightening amount of sense in the album's context, whereas the latter is a calm and meditative medieval transition caught between the darkness within worlds. Like many of Septicflesh's primordial releases, "Esoptron" has only just begun to receive the respect it deserves after years of hiding in the dust-filled vaults of obscurity. Thankfully, the nice folks at Season of Mist reissued this record, and, along with the other forgotten gems, have given this fine album a new chance to smoke up the world of death metal. Although not the best record forged in their early days, "Esoptron" is less of a steppingstone and more of a snapshot of the bliss that was to come.

This review was written for: www.Thrashpit.com

The glorious coupling of the light with the dark - 85%

Metal_Detector, November 1st, 2011

If Mystic Places of Dawn was an indication (as it proved to be), Septicflesh was a band destined to do great things, and it wasn't long before a similarly sanguine followup was delivered. Esoptron relies less on an all-consuming atmosphere, instead providing a panorama of doomy death metal prowess. There's this sort of medieval gothic vibe beginning to emerge here (most prevalent on brief interludes like "Celebration"), a factor that would dominate Septicflesh's following release, Ophidian Wheel. The sound is still archaic and ageless, but the overall effect of Esoptron evokes less wonder and mystique than its predecessor. Nonetheless, Esoptron shines with striking power; every album by this impeccable band is worth hearing, and it should come as no surprise that this one is no exception.

The production values have been vastly improved, though the tone does emit dryness when that siren of a lead guitar isn't shedding some sunlight on this haunting trek through Hades. This remains the most astounding facet of Septicflesh: the arresting beauty that manages to permeate its way through the depths of the band's deep, guttural darkness. This is achieved once again by excellent synths and keyboards, especially notable on "Narcissism," which is quite a daunting experience in itself. A nine minute journey across an abstract realm, the song brings just about everything Septicflesh had and combines it into one slow, progressive churn through the gothic landscape, adding in some eerily effective clean vocals just for good measure. That's one hell of a way to end an album.

Elsewhere, the album operates on a more concise level than that epic or even the debut, presenting songs around the 4-5 minute range with no lesser impact. "Ice Castle" in particular chills to the core with its building, sorrowful tension, containing emotionally dynamic melodies swarming all around in a suffocatingly moving blizzard. And it does all that while scarcely progressing beyond midpace. In fact, if you haven't noticed already, Esoptron always moves along with a patient, leisurely stride, never busting into unnecessary sections of speed. The title track follows this method, beggining with a rather pedestrian riff, but it all pays off when each of the individual layers come together to form a truly euphoric feast of musical delight.

Esoptron lies in a somewhat uncomfortable place in the Septicflesh discography, smashed in between the two near-flawless masterworks of Mystic Places of Dawn and Ophidian Wheel, but it easily holds its own (and your attention) for the modest 43 minute runtime. It's an album I quickly dismissed upon first listens, a mistake that could be made with several of their releases, but when given time to grow, Esoptron crawls within the recesses of the mind and takes sieze. Who knows, my marks for this one might just keep going up; I certainly haven't grown tired of it yet. Various production and distribution issues plagued this band until the release of Revolution DNA, and these early albums still haven't received the remaster or even rerelease treatment they've always deserved. Hopefully their newfound popularity will thrust these releases back into the spotlight.

(http://metallicfaithimmortal.blogspot.com/)

Who is the master of this cosmos? - 82%

autothrall, July 15th, 2011

Esoptron is yet another bright example of Greek finery, though its a misnomer to label anything this brooding and sultry as 'bright'. With Mystic Places of Dawn, Septic Flesh had proven that they could immerse their audience into a lush miasma of affliction, and with its successor, that audience is once again soaked upon the torrents of tragedy. If there's a difference, though, it's that Esoptron has a mildly more accessible construction to it, a collection of simple, sailing melodies heavily processed to create the illusion of some spiral down into the netherworld. Nightmares so beautiful that their drudging backbone and guttural narration cannot out-gravitate the Gothic glare of the guitar tone and the synthesized instruments spun across the album's brief, admittedly cheesy interludes.

These do serve to break up the effectiveness of the longer compositions, and I can't say they were necessary, but they also provide the more experimental elements of the sophomore, like the droning, cavernous industrial wash of "Breaking the Inner Seal"; the tonal curiosity and glittering chimes of "Astral Sea"; the flighty flutes and pianos of "Celebration". Otherwise, the album is almost fully composed of slower, numbing elegies that counterbalance the low end of the vocals with the heavily-effected guitar tone: from the truly trawling "So Clean, So Empty" and "Rain" to the more pick-me-up overtures of "Esoptron" and "Succubus Priestess", both of which erupt into straightforward but forgettable charges at their cores. In my opinion, the 9 minute closer "Narcissism" is the true highlight of the album, foreshadowing some of the brilliant melodic elements that would follow on the epic Ophidian Wheel. Despite its bulk, the mix of whispered and brutal vocals and the dynamic variation woven throughout create a more fulfilling encounter than any of the shorter pieces. Though the elegant "Ice Castle" and "Burning Phoenix" come pretty close in terms of quality.

I can't say that the album had the same, stunning effect on me as Mystic Places of Dawn, but it tries, and if it suffers anywhere that would be the production and the lagging behind of some of the guitar notation. It seems that whenever the band aren't coursing through one of their huge melodies, the songs seem to just sulk about, threatening to cast the shadows of ennui in place of their typical, effective sorrow. Part of this is just that the guitar levels feel a bit uneven with the tinny drums, and often blend too closely into the keyboards. Mystic Places was hardly a bastion of production standards itself, but I felt like that album had a sadder, more disturbing effect on me, while this often seems too strangely enthusiastic about its doom and gloom. However, it's still well worth hearing, functioning on many of the same strengths, from its atmosphere to its lyrical fortitude, and captures a lot of that early to mid 90s appeal that many of today's younger initiates fail to reproduce with their monotonous vocals and drowning reverb.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

Very creative - 90%

natrix, May 3rd, 2004

This album is the epitome of atmospheric death metal, and probably one of the best albums to come out of Greece. It sure put Septic Flesh on the map.

The first real song is "Esoptron," and starts with a simple riff. This is pretty deceptive, because when the verse kicks in, the guitar becomes kind of spacey. Then the vocals...ahh! Lovely death metal vocals! Spiros' vocals are great; very deep, rumbling death growls, but he does scream a few times, and later in the album Sotiris does some chanting. In the middle, it all changes to a Morbid Angel-esque, quickly picked riff (kind of like the beginning of "Rapture"), then a cool ending. The ending is especially nice; a kind of spacey riff with really low piano keys played and Spiros growling "ESOPTRON!" over and over. Before that, Sortiris plays a very good solo, almost like Adrian Smith's work on "Stranger in a Strange Land." "Rising Pheonix" follows, and it's faster. Again, a great hook shows up in the middle, as well as some chanting that sounds like Benedictine monks. "Ice Castle" is very melodic, almost balladesque, but beautiful. It sounds pretty cold, just like the title suggests, and moves along very slowly. "Eyes of Set" pretty much closes the album (the song "Narcissism" is not great), and it's very majestic sounding. The verses build, with a slightly driving riff, and the part after the chorus sounds like some sort of war march. Very cool.

These guys like their sound effect, apparently. I think that Sortiris' guitar is processed through a mountain of effects boards, but he manages to use it all really effectively. I'm often left thinking that this is some bastard hybrid of Morbid Angel's Blessed Are the Sick and Iron Maiden's Somewhere In Time, because they have a real slick synthetic vibe to it, with tasteful solos and a few grinding riffs. The clean riffs are really nice, too. Every song has a great melodic riff that hooks you into the rest of it.

The bummer songs are the little intros and the last song, "Narcissism." "Breaking the Inner Seal" (is this about taking a piss?) is your standard keyboard intro, not interesting at all. "Astral Sea" sounds like someone throwing pebbles at a harp, just to see what types of noises it can make. In other words, it's hardly music. "Celebration" is some sort of harpsichord/flute thing. I hate that shit! Gladly, it's not nearly as bad as anything from a Rhapsody album, but it conjures up images of people dressed up in tutus and dancing around while fantasizing about Dungeons and Dragons, and little happy elves in the forest. So yeah, it's bad, to say the least. "Narcissism" has a catchy little riff, but that disappears into Spiros growling with some keyboards, and then some chanting. Sadly, it's the longest song on the album, and doesn't seem that epic to me. Experimental, and I kind of want to say "industrial," but it's not too mechanic.

Another reason I can't give this a really perfect score is the drums. I think they're done by the same Costas who played with Nightfall, and once again, they sound just like a machine. Granted, they're well programmed, they bring down the whole of the album because they're boring and sound bad.

Even though I'd probably classify this as death metal, it's VERY melodic, and by that I don't mean in the typical Gothenburg way, and it certainly would turn off a lot of brutal death fanatics. The Iron Maiden melodies and solos are everywhere, and there's a lot of experimenting with different textures and atmospheres (done with keyboards and/or guitar synth). If you're open minded, and don't mind melodic stuff, you'll find this a very entertaining album. If not, stay away.

Quite simply a masterpiece ! - 90%

Edgecrusher, February 12th, 2003

Evolving from a somewhat generic death metal, the greek masters of Dark Metal deliver what's arguably their finest effort. Reduced to the two masterminds of the band (Spiros and Sotiris), the pair produced something unique, an alliance of dark moods, brooding vocals and dreamy lyrics that set the stage for the scene of avant-garde doom metal.

Songs like "Succubus Priestess" and "The Eyes of Set" still echo the beginnings of Septic Flesh, firmly rooted in the greek Death Metal scene, while songs like "Esoptron" or "Ice Castle" indicate the way that the band was to take on following albums. What really stands out on this album are the moods created by the band, each a perfect fit to the themes and lyrics of the songs. Sotiris' guitar work sets the stage for a oniric voyage through the mental universe of the band. Spiros has to be one of the best growlers in the scene, and the duets with Spiros' clean voice add an unmistakable trademark to this album (trademark which carries on until today), as featured of "Burning Phoenix". The closing number, "Narcissim", demonstrates fully the skills of the band, alterning quiet moods with powerful riffs and devastating lyrics.

Quite frankly, this is the epitome of Atmospheric metal. If you're a fan of the genre, then look no further !