Septic Flesh

Friday June 20th (Hellfest 2008 1st day)

Greek "symphonic death metal" band found in 1990, Septic Flesh did reunite in 2007 after a four years breakup. Their new release "Communion" released on French label Season of Mist, is a masterwork with a nice use of the philharmonic orchestra of Prague.

Fab : Are you happy to be here at the HELLFEST 2008 ? And what do you think about the various bands on the bill?
Fotis: First of all, the HELLFEST is one of the greatest festivals that I Know in Europe, that I noticed, last year when I saw SLAYER, MACHINE HEAD, etc…these big bands. And I wanted to play in that festival to tell you the truth. So when I see this poster now (on the wall) with all these bands, I think that it’s really nice because it combines a lot of styles, music styles. That’s why it’s really powerful, from all the European festival there.

Fab: Have you planned to attend one show in particular?
Fotis: Oh, there’s so many but, mostly I would like to see of course AT THE GATES, because I have a friend of mine, Tomas LINDBERG, and that’s why I want to see him also with this band again.

Fab: Are you glad of their return?
Fotis: Yes, of course. I made one album with Tomas LINDBERG when I was playing for NIGHTRAGE. So I’m really close, I’m really happy for him, with AT THE GATES.

Fab : A comment about today’s show? How it went?
Fotis: It was great.
Spiros: Really Good.
Fotis: They seems to like that. Beside that, there’s was a lot of Greek guys supporting us with Greek’s flags. So it was really nice.

Fab : Listening to your music, it’s seems very deep, complex but powerful at the same time. What is your song writing approach?
Fotis: This is a combination of 4 minds, of, all of us together we combine our music styles, and our music riffs that we create, we try to take the best of it and make one song. Each one (of us) is thinking of his own part, is bringing some ideas like “Annubis” for example, which one of our greatest song so far. (Someone) is bringing the theme, we have to rehearse it, to check it, and after we can change whatever we feel like. We can add chorus, like the clean vocals…everybody contribute, in this band. And that’s how the songs are made. It’s not only one guy making the songs.

Fab: Concerning the lyrics, is it the same approach?
Fotis: No, the lyrics are only one man: Sotiris (laughter). He’s really into it. You know, SEPTIC FLESH had various styles into the lyrics, so, if anybody could bring other lyrics, I think it would change this.

Fab: About the great cover atwork?
Spiros: I’m responsible (laughter). We have two different covers. The cover for the normal edition is not my work, it’s from a Swedish artist who made the sculpture. We took the permission, and took the photo of it. So it’s a combination between my work and hers. (it’s a ) Communion.

Fab : Do you dig into the H.R.GIGER style?
Spiros: Yes, a lot. Though I’ll like it more when I was 19-20 years old, right now I still could say that I like a lot GIGER’s work, but I’m now more into fine art, painting…you know, modern approach.

Fab : You recently did a lot of touring in the past few months…how are you dealing with this intensity?
Spiros: It was hard but we’ve made it (laughter).
Fotis: We haven’t been on tour since 2003, but this tour was really great with good names, DEVIAN, INACTIVE MESSIAH, VADER and we were really making good tours. So it was really good for us to, you know, the exposure of the band, to start showing the “Communion” songs.

Fab: Is it not difficult every night? As you play very energetic music.
Fotis: To be honest, I expected to be a lot really tired, but every night, I’m telling you, seeing different people that are really into our music, they were giving the best, you know? So we were also trying to do this. We didn’t just play, you know, because it’s also not good if you’re not enjoying it.

Fab: Sometimes you can be in different moods.
Fotis: Yeah, it is like this. For instance, it was some shows where we were tired, we couldn’t give our best selves, and we could see that. But maybe the people couldn’t understand, maybe. But I think most of the tour it was 100% of ourselves.

Fab: Any plans for the near future, except touring ?
Fotis: (laughter) We have, exactly this kind of touring that you said with CRADLE OF FILTH. We spoke with our management and label and I think we’re gonna make a video for a new song from “Communion”. What else…Well, we’re very busy, but it’s a good thing, it means the band’s getting bigger and bigger.

Fab : You seems to enjoy being on the edge in your work, between outright repulsion and beauty and its effects. Is it a thoughtful thing or just let the inspiration do it…
Fotis: Inspiration.
Spiros: We didn’t especially did that for “Communion”, it was a pure inspiration.

Fab: In spite of all this touring, have you been able to watch the Euro?
Fotis: No (laughter)
Spiros: We didn’t look.
Fotis: We saw a few things, but it wasn’t good for us (laughter).

Fab: Is there a good vibe between the bands here backstage?
Fotis: Yes, and everybody is behaving good as I can see.

Fab : What do you think about the great return of “Old School” bands like HELLOWEEN, TESTAMENT, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES…WHITESNAKE is releasing a new album…
Spiros: Yeah, we heard about all that of course.
Fotis: I think the people want to see these bands, because maybe they were too young when they were, you know, listening to this music and they never had the chance to see them. So it’s really good for them for sure.
Spiros: And I think that music, as an art, is like a poison. I mean it’s inside your veins. I think all these artists, maybe they took a break, but now they want to return and express themselves. It’s really important to have power, after all these years, to express yourself. TESTAMENT, it is a young band, but WHITESNAKE indeed, they have a lot of powers, so they could, you know, return and…(speaking both in greek)David Coverdale, it’s a great return. I listened to their album and it’s really good.

Fab: Did you have time to enjoy the pleasures of France?
Fotis: Oh, we did also on this tour, in Paris (laughter). It was great.
Spiros: We have a special connection between Greece and France.
Fotis: We were with Poly Records since 1993, we also have good connection with Seasons Of Mist now, from France. France is supporting us.

Fab: Talking about France, do you know any French metal band?
Fotis: GOJIRA
Spiros: The best. GOJIRA and I remember also, euh, LOUDBLAST. I was a really good band. I like a lot, a lot….I can’t remember the name, black metal band….ARKHON INFAUSTUS, I like them a lot.

Fab: How do you explain that the greek metal scene seems apparently bigger than in France?
Spiros: I won’t say it’s like this. You do have a lot of metal bands in France. In Greece, we don’t have so many bands.

Fab: I mean, ok, the French scene is maybe active, but there’s never big metal French bands.
Spiros: It’s the same in Greece. Active bands, there is maybe 4 or 5. Big bands, there are (only) two.
Fotis: ROTTING CHRIST & SEPTIC FLESH, right now in Greece. But there is a lot of bands trying to do something : SICKENING HORROR, INACTIVE MESSIAH (NDR Firewind !)

Fab: What do you make listen to someone who didn’t know you at all? Just one song which represents the most the philosophy of the band.
Fotis: “Persepolis”.
Spiros: Yeah “Persepolis” (almost in the same time).
Fotis: It’s difficult to choose but I think “Persepolis” represents 100% of what SEPTIC FLESH is about.

Fab: How do you manage the set-list for this festival?
Spiros: Today we played only from “Communion”. And only one track from “Sumerian Daemons”.
Fotis: Two tracks from “Sumerian Daemons”. But this is like you said (hard to choose) but on the other hand, the people, even with this 40 minutes they can go crazy. But mostly we play songs from the last album, even on tour. We try to promote it.

Fab: A last word for the readers of BSPIX?
Fotis: I hope they liked the show today, at least for those who were on the HELLFEST, and for the others, I hope they like “Communion”.