SEPTEMBER 28th, 2024
SEPTICFLESH AT THE ACROPOLIS
Review & Photos by: Char Tupper
Photo Gallery: http://www.metaltitans.com/concertpics/septicflesh-at-the-acropolis/

It was such a wonderful opportunity, to be approved to cover and photograph the Greek metal titans, Septicflesh, not only in their home country, but at a historical venue that has been a part of Greek history since AD 161, The Odeon of Herodes Atticus. Septicflesh made heavy metal history, by being the first ever, heavy metal band to perform in this venue to a sold-out crowd of 5,000 people. They performed alongside the Athen's State Orchestra, and let me tell you, this experience was unlike any other, it was phenomenal.  The audience was surrounded by Greek history, while one of their own bands, is making heavy metal history, there were no words to describe this feeling. That being said, let me try and put into words, how amazing this was, and if you can make a holiday out of a trip to Mexico in 2025 to witness a similar experience, don't miss out, as it is worth it, trust me.

First, let me talk about this phenomenal venue we get to sit in and witness this grand event. The Odeon of Herodes Atticus,  built in AD 161, when Herodes Atticus built the theatre in dedication to his Roman wife, Aspasia Annia Regilla. Originally when it was built, it was a three story, steep sloped theatre made of stone for the wall and Lebanon cedar for the partial wooden roof. Heavily inspired by Roman architect due to his wife's heritage, this theatre was the third to be built in Athens, however distinct due to the structure differences of Roman influence. Sadly, in the invasion of Erouloi of AD 267, the theatre was destroyed, it did partake in minor restorations, but it wasn't until the 1950's, when the city decided to reconstruct the venue using stone and marble, and a grand re-opening was done in 1955. Today, this venue is a main venue for open air events in the city of Athens, and it truly is breathtaking to see such ancient history, still standing and holding concert events, including symphonic death metal.

The evening began with the announcement to head to our seats as the performance was about to begin. (They should do this at all concerts, haha!) Now, for the orchestra, they began to walk out on stage, and immediately the crowd began to clap and cheer for the Athens State Orchestra, as well as the conductor walking out last and bowed to the crowd. The lights began to dim, and the orchestra began to play the intro piece to the track "The Vampire from Nazareth",  the perfect opening track, with the orchestra building the anticipation to the band slowly walking out on stage front and centre ready to start. When Septicflesh walked out, the crowd got even more excited cheering and clapping for the band and as the band kicks in with their instruments, the true experience came together. I couldn't believe how amazing it sounded all together, and the acoustics in this venue, were phenomenal. I know the sound has to be adjusted to certain volume levels, due to the age and sensitivity of the venue, and heavy metal, well, it isn't the softest sound, so even with these adjustments, the sound and essence were amazing.

Watching the show, they performed a variety of songs, including "Coming Storm" (first time live debut), "Pyramid God",  "Communion", even closing out the night with "Dark Art", plus several other classics throughout the evening. I will say, one of the major highlights of seeing Septicflesh in Greece, was getting to witness Sotiris, the clean vocals behind the recordings, performed live. I have seen Septicflesh several times over the years in the USA & Canada, but having Sotiris by their side and performing his vocals, wow, he sounded fantastic.  It was such a treat to have the full Septicflesh experience from the records themselves, with orchestra, Sotiris, and of course, the band themselves. The crowd enthusiasm was unlike any I have experienced anywhere in the world from concerts in Norway, the US, Canada, the excitement for Septicflesh and this unique event, was so refreshing to see. Yes, I would say there was a handful of fans from around the globe, and we truly appreciated this event. However, I truly felt with Seth speaking Greek, and a large portion of the audience laughing and joining in, I would say the local support from their country, was unreal (and great to see!) . The sound and visuals of this whole experince, I am still in "awe" over, and it has been over a week since I took part in photographing and watching the show. To end the evening, the band and orchestra got a standing ovation, it was so beautiful to see, I am sure the band and orchestra were emotional from the experience on their side of things as well, what a wonderfully supportive crowd everyone was.

Overall, I am blown away by this concert event. This will be very hard to top in my books, as sadly a lot of bands nowadays don't quite bring this level of experience to Canadian or US shores due to rising costs since the pandemic, and I fully understand that, since who can afford extra costs these days.  That being said, I say make a holiday out of getting a chance to see or witness these unique adventures overseas, as this holiday to Greece for me, gave me a chance to also explore a country rich in history, beautiful scenary, and everything in-between. Plus, a wonderful excuse to go see this monumental event take place at the historical Odeon of Herodes Atticus. Thank you Septicflesh, for this breathtaking experience and giving me a chance to not only witness this event, but partake in Greek culture and how wonderful it all is.