Yeah, this is one of those long, long overdue reviews, which calls for me to apologise to the band and the record company and all that. Sorry!
Greek Septicflesh have a longstanding name in the world of metal, and they deserve much kudos for bringing inspiring and diverse music into play for fans of symphonic death metal. This release is a reissue of their debut album, 'Mystic Places of Dawn' from 1994 plus the EP 'Temple of the Lost Race', and you could say a chance for new fans to get into the early material of a band that was clearly extremely inspired by the sound of Paradise Lost - something which is blatantly obvious in e.g. songs like Pale Beauty of the Past and Crescent Moon. Not that this is a complete copy of Yorkshire's finest - they already at this point had their own take on the genre. Interestingly enough, the tracks from the 'Temple of the Lost Race' EP have much more in common with US death metal than the British sound of the 'Mystic Place...' material.
I wouldn't count myself among the greatest fans of Septicflesh, but this I do like - especially the 'Mystic Place of Dawn' tunes, even if the production is certainly marked by the time in which it was made.
All in all an enjoyable listen, this one. Recommended - even if it's probably mostly for fans who need to fill their Septicflesh collection.
