SEPTICFLESH at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus: A night of ritual beneath the Acropolis

Where ancient stone met symphonic fury, Athens witnessed a performance that blurred the line between concert and ceremony

From early in the afternoon, Dionysiou Areopagitou had transformed. The street was alive with people all moving in the same direction, as if answering an invisible call. Black t-shirts and leather jackets mingled with more formal attire, forming a vibrant procession. This wasn’t just another gig, it already felt like a celebration, almost a ritual.

Stepping into the Herodeion, the weight of history wraps around you instantly. The ancient stone, the arches, the glow of the Acropolis towering above like a silent guardian, all of it created the perfect stage for something extraordinary. Where tragedies once echoed, a new kind of drama was about to unfold: blast beats, guttural growls, and soaring symphonic lines blending into one overwhelming force.

The Athens State Orchestra took their seats, led by Koen Schoots. A single breath from the strings was enough to shift the atmosphere entirely. The crowd fell quiet, suspended in anticipation. Then the Libro Coro choir entered, joined by the children’s choir. Their voices rose, delicate at first, as if awakening the ancient stones, before swelling into a sound both vast and otherworldly.

When SEPTICFLESH stormed the stage with the opening riff of “Portrait Of A Headless Man”, the ceremony began in earnest. Growls split the night, entwined with the orchestra and choirs, creating something more than music, an entire scene unfolding in real time. By the time “The Vampire From Nazareth” thundered through the theatre, the intensity was overwhelming. Hands shot into the air, the crowd moved as one, while sopranos Fany Melfi and Afroditi Patoulidou added a spectral depth to the soundscape. Then came Vahan Galstyan with the haunting duduk, weaving an exotic line that turned the piece into a spell cast directly into the stones of the theatre.

Song after song, the audience was pulled deeper in. “We, The Gods”, “Neuromancer”, “Enemy Of Truth”, each crescendo felt like a wave carrying us higher. Between songs, you could glance around and see eyes lit up, lips mouthing lyrics, strangers united as if the entire amphitheater had become a single body.

And then the moment of surprise. “Amphibians”, performed live for the very first time! The audience erupted. Some embraced, others stood frozen in awe. The children’s choir wove its lines with the voices of Fany and Aphrodite and suddenly the music took on the quality of a dark fairytale. Fragile, enchanting and unmistakably SEPTICFLESH!

The crowd itself was as much a part of the night as the performers. Devout metalheads, couples sharing their own private moment, curious tourists, even older listeners who might never have chosen a Metal concert, all stood side by side. There was joy, excitement and we held our breath during passages when orchestra, choirs and guest musicians dissolved every boundary between genres.

The main set ended, leaving a brief, reverent silence before the theatre erupted in endless applause. The band returned with “Anubis” and “Dark Art” and the atmosphere ignited. The orchestra roared, the choirs thundered and the Acropolis above seemed to watch over a ritual binding ancient and modern, light and shadow. In those moments, nothing else existed. Not phones, not worries. Just raw energy and reverence. Seth took a moment to thank all collaborators, reminding us that a few short years ago, such a night would have been unthinkable!

When the final notes faded, no one rushed to leave. People lingered in their seats, gazing at the stage, at each other, as if trying to confirm that it had really happened. Out on Dionysiou Areopagitou, faces glowed. Some laughed, others chatted animatedly, while a few walked in silence, holding onto the magic for as long as they could.

Setlist:

Portrait of a Headless Man
The Vampire from Nazareth
We, the Gods
Neuromancer
Enemy of Truth
Hierophant
Virtues of the Beast
Coming Storm
A Desert Throne
Prototype
The Collector
Martyr
Prometheus
Amphibians (live premiere)

Encore:
Anubis
Dark Art

SEPTICFLESH’s concert at the Herodeion was not simply a show. It was a bridge. A bridge between ancient and modern, symphonic and extreme, light and darkness. For a few precious hours beneath the Acropolis, music transcended genres, labels, even time itself!

Spyros, Christos, Antonis, Kerim, Dinos … thank you!

Live Correspondence: Flower Of Evil aka Athena Kakrida
Photographs: Stella Mouzi / Dinos Karras
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