Lyrically, the album focuses on Sumerian lore, ranging from Anubis, who prepares the dead for the afterlife, Babel, the famed tower in which all its creators were cursed, and Persepolis, which seems to take a strange allusion to the story of Sodom since both cities were torched to the ground. The lyrics are very intriguing and almost each tells a story, although they still hold some repetition in the verse/chorus/verse sense. One could even consider Septic Flesh, with the achievement of Communion, akin to Nile, another Sumerian themed death metal group known for its epic use of orchestrations and other middle eastern instrumentations.
One may even prefer Communion to Nile's albums because it is easier to understand vocally and allows the listener to breathe in between sections of the music; generally Nile's work is faster and harsher. (This is, of course, no disrespect to Nile at all, for they produce some pretty wonderful music as well.)
Does Communion make Septic Flesh the greatest band of all time? No. But what it does do is give the band a solid place in the spotlight as being one of the unique sounds that use death metal and orchestra together with tinges of Sumerian influence. No doubt it is outstanding, and hopefully the next album will be just as good, if not better. Longer songs would be a major plus, and perhaps they will bring back the use of female vocalizations.
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