By: Mark Ambrose
Album Type: Full Length
Date
Released:
23/04/2018
Label: Memento Mori Records
Whether cranking out a moldering dirge
like the introductory, instrumental “Descend into Dusk” or the chugging
progressions of “Hope’s Aspersion”, Shrine of the Serpent deliver the perfect mix
of nauseating terror so often characterized by the best death doom bands
“Entropic Disillusion” CD//DD track listing
1.
Descend into Dusk
2.
Hailing the Enshrined
3.
Hope’s Aspersion
4.
Desecrated Tomb
5.
Returning
6.
Epoch of Annihilation
7.
Rending the Psychic Void
The Review:
I
love the menacing crackle of lo-fi death metal in all its permutations:
classic, grind, blackened, death doom.
There’s a muddy, horrific vein running through those crusty recordings
that instantly invoke twilight drives through swamps and decrepit woods,
all-night gore flick marathons, and seedy exploitation VHS rentals that just
sets my monster kid heart all aflutter.
Combined with the gruesome, sometimes nauseating artwork that typifies
the genre (even the borderline incompetent shit), even the rawest demo tape can
turn me into an easy mark for bands who can thrash out a competent slab of
death. It helps when they manage to back
up their swagger with some real bona fides, and the trio behind Shrine of the
Serpent have some real chops on display, bolstered by haunting cover
artwork by Mariusz Lewandowski & Vladimir Chebakov.
Whether
cranking out a moldering dirge like the introductory, instrumental “Descend into Dusk”, or the chugging
progressions of “Hope’s Aspersion”, Shrine of the
Serpent has one unifying characteristic: VOLUME. The vibrating bass tones and the shrieking
crackle of guitar leads are fuzzy, dirty, and punishing. Often, this hits that perfect mix of
nauseating terror that characterizes the best death doom bands. Todd Janeczek’s inhuman growls are
multitracked and layered in several different registers, imbuing tracks like “Desecrated Tomb” with the sense that
there’s a whole host of ghoulish, unholy narrators. Chuck Watkins’ drum performance is that
subtle balance of technical skill and instinctual barbarism that the best death
drummers can pull off effortlessly. And
Adam De Prez’s multi-duty efforts are formidable, especially his unholy bass
tone.
Unfortunately,
there’s a lack of balance in the mix that quashes some stellar intricacy. The left channel in particular is just too
damn jacked into the red zone, so you get clipping on many of the guitar
tracks. And frankly the punishing volume
can be unpleasant and diminish moments like the volume shift in “Epoch of Annihilation” that should be
chilling but instead sounds strange.
This volume escalation is an issue that plagued even the best death
metal bands, as well as modern superstars (Metallica and Rush have both fallen victim to
“volume wars” in recent years). For a
band so solid in every sense of the term – rhythmically, technically, and
vocally – a steadier touch at the mixing board next time may produce a genuine
masterpiece. For now, with “Entropic Disillusion”,
Shrine of
the Serpent embraces both the pinnacles, and pitfalls, that decades
of death metal have traversed, while showing promise for exciting work ahead.
“Entropic Disillusion” is available here
