Last time out, Septagon didn’t quite live up to the hype and promise which the promotional material supplied with their album ‘Deadhead Syndicate’. Whilst it did bring some of the more technical and harder hitting aspects of the 80’s thrash scene to the sturdy and ever reliable Euro-minded Power Metal sounds, it was with some very noticeable flaws, mainly the vocals, false-start moments in terms of atmosphere and momentum and lacking the rawness many associate with thrash-power hybrid bands. With “Apocalyptic Rhymes”, we shall see if those flaws have been addressed or whether the band have simply tried to paper over the cracks present.

Opening up with the almost mandatory exposition based introduction track; “The End”, we are greeted with the usual atmosphere building, sample dominated and ultimately, a live introduction track. The spoken word samples quoting the Book of Revelations, more precisely, the part heralding the arrival of the four horsemen of the apocalypse does little for the album overall, but it does play in to the theme of the record’s title at least. “The Weight Of the World” which follows on is pretty much what Septagon are known for – the power/thrash hybrid. With the music drawing aspects of thrash metal riffery and rhythm and holding it together with a power metal styled structure, it has a good low end presence and some tight rhythmic control but despite this, the vocal delivery doesn’t quite match up to the music. Whilst it does have a touch of drama to the delivery and it does kind of fit the atmosphere, it is just like oil and water, it just doesn’t mix!

Thankfully, it picks up a little from here. “Home Sweet Hell” has a solid groove and more energy and personality in it. The bass driven intro stands out well, the vocal delivery is slightly stronger and there is a definite bite in the delivery. The short and sharp vocal delivery, in combination with the bass and drum driven flow of the track helps it hit hard, the harmony lead spot really stands out and in all, the blend of melody, aggression and rhythmic control all works together, giving us a sign of promise and a feeling that maybe things are settling and improving. As the album progresses, this pattern surfaces from time to time in the tracks. There is a solid rhythmic foundation across the release and the technical aspects and ability on display from the musicians involved shows great promise. The composition and melodic arrangements work well, the technical prowess in the more intricate arrangements or blistering shred spots will catch your ear and the thought provoking lyrics do make an impact, even if the vocal delivery is a little lacking in parts. “The Unfathomable Evil” brings the surging pace and dramatics of King Diamond and Them, and packages them with a reliable rhythm section which compliments the lead work rather nicely. “P.O.T.U.S.A” is the obligatory swipe at the gimp in Washington D.C, bringing the venomous qualities that politically charged thrash metal is known for and “Nothingness Awaits” offers a bleak view of a technological revolution a la Skynet and Terminator.

Still, despite these promising moments, the rest of the album is rather tame. Reliable in terms of rhythm and composition, but lacking that excitement and spark bands like Iced Earth bring with the Power Metal laced with Thrash elements. Still, despite this, the closing number, “Sunset Blood” is a commendable attempt at bringing such a track forwards. An emotion-laden atmosphere, steady paced progression, fantastic arrangements of clean guitars and crisp distorted melodies all serve as a fantastic backdrop for the vocals which actually seem to fit this type of music, add to that the sweet harmony solo section and dramatic vocal/lead melody outro and you start to see where Septagon actually do hit the spot. It seems that with “Sunset Blood”, the band have found a working formula, all that remains is how to further progress it and spread it out across an entire album.

In all, “Apocalyptic Rhymes” can be seen as progress as far as my take on Septagon is concerned. It is a definite step in the right direction in terms of music, impact and end product. It doesn’t quite capture the attention or imagination, but what it does do is show a band who are evolving and not afraid to go forwards. If the way “Sunset Blood” turned out means anything then if the band were to somehow harness the sound/feel/approach of the track and turn it into a full-length release, it could help Septagon step up and be noticeable in the midst of a very heavily populated genre of bands.

(5.5/10 Fraggle)

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