By: John Slaymaker
Album Type:
Full Length
Date Released:
11/09/2012
Label:
Relapse Records
These songs lumber along nicely not over stretched, I think well
organised and quite a bit of time went into writing them, as they try
successfully to structure these tunes so that the listening experience is
perfect for this genre. Expect great genre defining things from them.
‘Serpentine Path’
CD//DD//LP track Listing:
1)
Arrows: (05:00)
2)
Crotalus Horridus Horridus (06:27)
3)
Bats Amongst Heathens: (03:51)
4)
Beyond The Dawn Of Time (06:40)
5)
Obsoletion: (05:30)
6)
Aphelion: (03:06)
7)
Compendium Of Suffering (04:51)
8)
Only A Monolith Remains: (06:30)
Serpentine Path
is:
Ryan
Lipynsky | Vocals
Jay
Newman | Bass
Darren
Verni | Drums
Stephen
Flam | Guitars
Tim
Bagshaw | Guitars and Vocals
The Review:
Serpentine Path
is basically all of Unearthly Trance one part Ramesses and one third Winter.
New York’s Unearthly
Trance broke up earlier in the summer, I assume to concentrate on
this band. They met Tim Bagshaw in 2002 whilst touring with Electric Wizard,
and struck up a friendship and desire to play together then. It was not until
they finished recording the album that 2nd guitarist Stephen
Flam from doom trio Winter joined.
‘Arrows’ starts
us on our doom encrusted journey and even though vocalist Ryan Lipynsky is a
excellent guitarist in his own right, his talents are not needed here, leaving
him to concentrate on his surly vocals, giving the album it’s perfect balance
and necessary high vocal mix. The second song here, ‘Crotalus Horridus Horridus’ is
one of the longest tracks , but at six and a half minutes does all it needs to
in such a short time. These songs lumber along nicely not over stretched, I
think well organised and quite a bit of time went into writing them, as they
try successfully to structure these tunes so that the listening experience is
perfect for this genre. Not particularly
challenging but ‘Beyond The Dawn Of Time’ has
a great way of keeping you transfixed even with its seriously slow pacing and
drawn out sections, and at only 5 minutes you would think this great riff is
lasting forever.
‘Obsoletion’ is
my favourite song here as the guitar intro swings about like some kind of ape
type beast demonstrating his masculinity. ‘Aphelion’ is
the shortest song but with real vibrant guitars and vocals it seems to almost
stand alone as a proper doom tune, riffs fire at you with a backpack full of Vitus
and Sabbath. ‘Only
A Monolith Remains’ is a typical wind down track keeping you
hanging on for more as the end riff fades to black. I would love to see this
band tour the UK with bands like Undersmile
and Conan.
Expect great genre defining things from them.
