Septicflesh (formerly known as Septic Flesh) are a Greek
death metal band from
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
, founded in 1990.
History
Septicflesh were formed in Athens in March 1990 by Sotiris Vayenas (guitar), Spiros Antoniou (bass and vocals), and Christos Antoniou (guitars). They released a debut
EP, ''Temple of the Lost Race'' in December with Black Power Records, 1991.
The band recorded their first full-length album, ''
Mystic Places of Dawn'', in April 1994 at the Storm studio with the co-production of Magus Wampyr Daoloth (who had been the keyboardist for
Rotting Christ
Rotting Christ is a Greek black metal band formed in 1987. They are noted for being one of the first black metal bands within this region, as well as a premier act within the European underground metal scene. They are also responsible for creat ...
).
released by
Holy Records
Holy Records is a French metal label run by Misanthrope frontman Phillipe De L'Argilière. Aside from Misanthrope itself, the label has not signed many French bands, but also corresponds with several Greek bands.
Current and former artists
Source ...
. They started working on a new album for 1995 and named it ''
Esoptron''. It was produced by Septic Flesh and George Zacharopoulos, recorded and mixed at Storm Studios in March - April 1995, mastered by Sonic Contact (France), and released by
Holy Records
Holy Records is a French metal label run by Misanthrope frontman Phillipe De L'Argilière. Aside from Misanthrope itself, the label has not signed many French bands, but also corresponds with several Greek bands.
Current and former artists
Source ...
Session vocalist Natalie Rassoulis joined for ''
The Ophidian Wheel'' (1997) and again for ''
A Fallen Temple'' (1998).
The group split up in October 2003, and after the breakup, its members moved on to different or existing projects:
Christos Antoniou continued involvement with
Chaostar, which he formed in 1998, and Katsionis played guitar for
Nightfall and keyboards for
Firewind
Firewind is a Greek power metal band formed in Thessaloniki in 1998. The group is currently signed to Century Media Records and was originally a small project created by guitarist Gus G. to showcase his demo, ''Nocturnal Symphony'', in 1998. ...
.
TheDevilWorx formed a year after Septic Flesh's disbanding, and featured some members
from Septic Flesh's original line-up. In March 2007, guitarist Sotiris Vayenas revealed his plans for a new solo project called Aenaos.
On February 19, 2007, Septic Flesh announced a reunion for Greece's ''Metal Healing Festival'' featuring
Orphaned Land
Orphaned Land is an Israeli heavy metal band, formed in 1991 under the name Resurrection (changing their name in 1992 to the current name), that combines Israeli Jewish, Mizrahi, and other West Asian influences. They are considered the pioneer ...
,
Rage and
Aborted
Aborted is a Belgian death metal band formed in 1995 in Waregem. The group currently consists of vocalist, founder and only constant member Sven de Caluwé, guitarist Ian Jekelis, bassist Stefano Franceschini and drummer Ken Bedene. Although t ...
, set to take place July 20–22.
![Septicflesh 003](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Septicflesh_003.jpg)
On April 3, 2007,
Blabbermouth.net
Blabbermouth.net is a website dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock news, as well as album and music DVD reviews. Blabbermouth.net was founded and is run by Borivoj Krgin. The first version of the website was launched in March 2001; in Octob ...
reported the band reunited for a seventh full-length CD, for French record label
Season of Mist. According to guitarist and composer Christos Antoniou, the release would feature a full orchestra and a choir, totalling 80 musicians and 32 singers. Septic Flesh finalized the new album, ''Communion'', in
Studio Fredman in Sweden; it was released in April 2008. By this time the band had changed its name from Septic Flesh to Septicflesh. According to guitarist Christos it looks better and states a new phase in the band.
On September 10, 2009, the band announced that they had begun work on a new studio album, tentatively planned for release in the beginning of 2011.
On December 17, 2010, the band released the first single, "The Vampire From Nazareth", and announced that the new album will be shipped on April 28 in the UK, and April 29 in the United States.
On February 12, 2014, the band released details about ''
Titan''. The album was released in June 2014. On December 15, 2014, it was announced that
Kerim "Krimh" Lechner had joined Septicflesh as their new drummer, following the recent departure of their former longtime drummer, Fotis Benardo (a.k.a. Fotis Gianakopoulos).
In June 2016 interview it was declared that, since early 2016, Septicflesh had been working on their tenth studio album, scheduled for release toward spring 2017. In early June 2017, band members claimed that Septicflesh's tenth album, titled ''
Codex Omega'', is officially due to release on September 1, 2017. Like the previous album, ''Titan'', ''Codex Omega'' was released through
Prosthetic Records
Prosthetic Records is an American record label specializing in heavy metal recordings, founded in Los Angeles, California in 1998 by E.J. Johantgen and Dan Fitzgerald. Prosthetic Records released the first two albums by Lamb of God and Animals ...
.
On August 29, 2018, it was announced that the band had signed to Nuclear Blast Records.
In February 2019, Septicflesh performed their first live performance featuring a full orchestra and choir, in a sold-out performance at the
Teatro Metropólitan
The Teatro Metropólitan is one of Mexico's best-known movie theaters. Before being the Teatro Metropólitan it was known as the Cine Metropólitan, and was built as a movie palace. The architect was Pedro Gorozpe E. with interior decorations by A ...
in
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...
,
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
. The show was recorded and was released through Season of Mist in July 2020 as the band's first official live album, titled ''Infernus Sinfonica MMXIX'', in audio and video format.
In 2020, the band announced the upcoming release of a new studio album. The album, entitled "Modern Primitive" was released in May of 2022.
Personnel
With Full Force
Full Force (previously With Full Force) is a German heavy metal and hardcore punk-oriented music festival held annually since 1994. The 2011 edition took place between 1 and 3 July at Roitzschjora airport in Löbnitz.
Lineups
2010
2–4 July ...
2018" widths="180" heights="180">
Septicflesh With Full Force 2018 06.jpg, Singer and Bassist Spiros Antoniou
Septicflesh With Full Force 2018 09.jpg, Lead Guitarist Christos Antoniou
Septicflesh With Full Force 2018 03.jpg, Rhythm guitarist Dinos Prassas
Current members
*
*Sotiris Vayenas "Sotiris Anunnaki V." – clean vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, lyrics
* Live in Toulouse (June 20, 2014, ''Season of Mist'', DL/Bonus CD)
* Infernus Sinfonica MMXIX (July 31, 2020, ''Season of Mist'', CD/LP/DL & DVD/Blu-Ray)