Septicflesh - Interviews

Deutsche Version lesen With „Codex Omega“ the Greeks SEPTICFLESH recently released their tenth studio album. Guitarist and composer Sotiris V. explains the background of the album concept in an interview.

SEPTICFLESH-album number ten, “Codex Omega”, is out for a while – how is the feedback?
The feedback is amazing both from the magazines and the fans. So we have a very good start!

New album, new bandlogo. Why did you decide to change your logo, which is very important for the CI of a brand, once again?
The creative team of Corn Studio is responsible for the creation of the logo of the band. Seth that is in charge of decisions about the visual aspects of the band, wanted some specific improvements to be made and so he asked them to tweak the logo appropriately. He is a true perfectionist always asking for more and that is why there are so many logo changes all those years.

More or less in this context: Why did you change your band-name from two words, SEPTIC FLESH, to SEPTICFLESH some years ago?
After the release of “Sumerian Daemons” we were disbanded. With Communion, we reunited starting the 2^nd phase of the band, so from then on, the two words are joined together. Obviously the meaning is the same, so mostly it is a visual and symbolic thing.

The artwork looks very futuristic and morbid ad the same time. What inspired you for that artwork, what was the idea behind it?
Seth, being also the main vocalist of the band, has the ultimate insight of the lyrics and this is something that is working for our advantage. So the thematology of the album is what actually inspired the album cover and the whole artwork.

Is there a direct link between the artwork and the album title/concept?
“We invented the devil, so the devil is man” is the link between title song, “3^rd Testament (Codex Omega)”, and the cover. So the main threatening looking figure acts as a scapegoat. It has no will of its own and actually it is a creation of a human mind as it is indicated from the human embryo that is in the place of the brain.

What does “Codex Omega” stand for?
It is the title of the 3^rd and final testament that is ending the Christian fairytale in a rather surprising way. Omega, being the last letter of the Greek alphabet, indicates finality, the end of words…

What is the theme or idea behind the lyrics?
There is wide variety of subjects. “Dante’s Inferno” is inspired from the actual famous poem of Dante “Divine Comedy”. “Martyr” tells the sad story of Hypatia, a Greek mathematician, astronomer, philosopher that was murdered by a Christian mob by orders of the bishop Cyril of Alexandria, which was later declared a saint by the church… “Enemy of Truth” and “Portrait Of A Headless Man” deal with human society in our ages and the new ways of mental slavery. “Faceless Queen” is about the Sumerian primordial goddess Tiamat. And so on …

How important are the lyrics for you as a part of a SEPTICFLESH album?
Very important, as they give substance to the music. To give more insight to what is hiding behind the surface, besides the main body of lyrics, i put a little prologue for each song, giving some important hints.

How do you develop a typical SEPTICFLESH-song, and did that change over the years, since the orchestra becomes more and more adnate with the metal-parts?
During our first era, we developed the songs starting from the guitars and the riffs. From “Communion” and after, there are always some songs that originate from orchestral ideas and then we develop the appropriate metal parts. So we have a more soundtrack approach now. But of course we still have songs started with the metal element and the orchestral element comes later. Using both ways to create songs has vastly expanded our creativity, leading us to an increasing number of experimentations. Now we feel very confident to try unconventional, progressive ideas and shape them with emotional precision into something memorable and powerful. “Enemy Of Truth” is a good example.

There is a two-disc-edition of the album, “The Codex Omega Symphony”. How did you decide which songs to use as album-tracks and which for the bonus-CD only?
The bonus CD contains only instrumental orchestral versions of the songs, presenting a different perspective on the compositions and ultimately creating a different experience for the listener. The main album contains the normal, balanced perspective of the songs, where the metal element is also present.

Will there be a Europe-Tour in support of “Codex Omega”?
We will start with a Latin American tour, with Fleshgod Apocalypse, but definitely there is going to be a European tour in 2018. I can’t announce something more specific right now, as at this point we are considering various options. So keep an eye open.

Will there be anything new as well, new stage-costumes or something like that?
Yes. Already we have obtained our new costumes, as they are shown in the promotional pictures of the band and our new video-clip “Portrait Of A Headless Man”. Also we will have a new stage set, compatible with the artwork of the new album.

Have you ever thought about realizing a SEPTICFLESH-show with a real orchestra as well, maybe for a DVD-recording?
It is something that demands strong economic recourses to back it up and must be organised very well, so it is not something easy to be done. But of course at some point we would like to do it.

You’ve played tons of shows now – which bands you did not share the stage with so far you’d love to tour with?
It would be really cool if we could tour with bands as Morbid Angel, Kreator, Meshugga, Gojira and many more.

Thanks for taking time for this interview – lets finish this with a short brainstorming. Write down in short words, which of the two terms you prefer and why.
Germany – Greece: My homeland Greece has always a special place in my heart.
Football – Athletics: Football, simply because i find it more exciting.
Beer – Wine: Wine is good but i prefer beer.
Burger – Gyros: Gyros as it is much tastier.
Winter – Summer: Winter, as I prefer the cold from the heat.

Thanks for your time and answers – the last words are yours:
Thank you very much for your support!