Septicflesh: Infernus Sinfonica MMIX (Season Of Mist, 2020)

Greek symphonic death metal band Septicflesh has just released their first proper live album. It’s titled Infernus Sinfonica MMIX, and the 2CD/DVD set features an epic performance in Mexico that features the band backed by a full orchestra and two separate choirs. Yeah, OK, metal bands performing live shows with a symphony orchestra is kind of old hat by now, but when you get a band like Septicflesh where symphonic elements are such a huge part of their sound, you want to see if they can pull it off without piping all the cool parts in via keyboard.

This one is every bit as epic and majestic as you could hope for. The show was held in this huge theater, so the classic architecture paired perfectly with the symphony orchestra. I still chuckle at the idea of choirs and an orchestra being asked to learn Septicflesh songs (“OK, children’s choir, today we’re going to sing ‘Vampire Of Nazareth’”), but it is such a brilliant pairing. The band sounds amazing, which isn’t a surprise, but there’s a great energy on stage that shows they knew how special the event really was. The crowd seemed really pumped, but there weren’t a lot of audience shots so it’s hard to say for sure. I was engaged from home though, and not just because I’m concert-starved in 2020.

Infernus Sinfonica MMIX is epic in every sense of the word. Massive songs, massive production, massive energy, and just a fantastic display of intense, extreme heavy metal paired with refined classical instruments and soaring choral arrangements in a majestic setting. This is exactly what you might hope for from a Septicflesh live production.