Description

Black vinyl with printed innersleeve Septagon formed in 2013 when Lanfear guitarist Markus Ullrich teamed up with Atlantean Kodex vocalist Markus Becker with the goal of forming an old-school thrash band blending the aggression of Exodus, Slayer and Testament with the melodic approach of Forbidden, Heathen, Realm or Watchtower. They were joined by drummer Jurgen Schrank (also from Lanfear), bassist Alexander Palma and second guitarist Stef Binnig-Gollub. It’s back to the mid-80’s with the Spanish guitars of the album opener Ignite the Apocalypse, a short instrumental piece which recalls Battery or Fight Fire With Fire. Then we’re into the album proper with Revolt Against the Revolution. Drums and palm-muted guitars gradually build up before locking-in with a heavier, chugging rhythm. The tension is mounting as we move to a speedy Exodus-style riff. Now, how will the vocals sound? Death Metal growling? Screeching? Whiny shouting? Brace yourselves guys ‘n gals because Markus B can actually SING! The most fitting comparison is probably Anthrax’s Joey Belladonna (though not quite hitting the higher end of his range). A catchy, melodic chorus, tight riffing and a slick solo section follow. So far, so good. So, next up is Exit… Gunfire, which opens with a main riff not a million miles from Metallica’s Motorbreath. Lyrically it’s all about the horrors of war: My home is the trench and my brother the gun. Ripper opens with a very Eastern-sounding harmony guitar line. Maybe something got lost in translation between Whitechapel in the East End, as lyrically we’re presented with “dark streets and rainy weather” and unlit alleys where our titular character slices up his victims. An acoustic guitar break just before the solo makes me think of Megadeth’s Holy Wars. Septagon Conspiracy’s intricate intro leads into a very martial drum pattern, before the combination of blast beats and dissonant chords with some robotic vocal effects as part of the narration for a tale of alien abduction and experimentation. Henchman of Darkness is quite different to the rest of the album, much slower with some nice melodic bass playing. I have to admit this is the stand-out track vocally, very much in the style of James Labrie, but still menacing if you consider the Satanic tones of the lyrical message, which seems to be written by a killer who believes himself to be Lucifer. Deadhead Syndicate has yet more tight riffing in sync with the rhythm section, as does Unwanted Company with its commentary on the omnipresent surveillance of modern life. The album closes with Secret Silver Panorama Machine which for me shows quite heavy Megadeth influences, both in the sneering vocal style (very close to Dave Mustaine) and also in the climbing chromatic chord progression in the solo. Speaking of Megadeth the album artwork could be taken as a nod to Peace Sells… – using mainly orange tones, a skeletal figure, a signpost, but with a bullet-shaped cityscape in place of the UN building. A fantastic first album, displaying a highly-developed song writing talent with sharply-honed technical skills. Track listing: 1. Ignite the Apocalypse 2. Revolt Against the Revolution 3. Exit… Gunfire 4. Ripper 5. Septagon Conspiracy 6. Henchman of Darkness 7. Deadhead Syndicate 8. Unwanted Company 9. Secret Silver Panorama Machine