Sunday 2 February 2014

Serpent Eater - HYENA - Album Review

AA95. Serpent Eater - Hyena LP cover art

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: Dec 15th 2013
Label: Alerta Antifascista Records (LP)/Hammerheart Records (CD) 

Opening track listing:

1.Ebola 05:38
2.Last Cold Word 06:00
3.In The Wall 04:42
4.Hyena 05:19
5.Leitmotif 02:53
6.Trepanation Nation 04:00

Bio:

SERPENT EATER, based out of Cologne, Germany, has been plodding forward with its current lineup since early 2012. With members hailing from HAMMERHEAD (Ger), TUMULT (Ger), DASKRILL (Ger) and THROATS (UK), SERPENT EATER has been well rooted in the DIY Hardcore Punk scene for ages. Living on anger, SERPENT EATER is fuelled, not dispirited, by life’s experiences and struggles.

As such, the lyrical concepts employed in their work mainly focus on the weirdness and deformations of the psyche as well as the emotions of a violated mankind in modern society.

SERPENT EATER creates its signature dark sound to emphasise this lyrical approach by mixing elements of death and black metal to (post) hardcore, crust, heavy and dark 70s rock, and doom to create sludgy, heavy and somber atmospheres of despair and hopelessness infused with moments of calm, sadness and melodic doldrums – only to be interrupted by sudden outbursts of sheer fury.

The Band Members

DW, GR, CM, DS, RGD

Review:

Serpent Eater are here to destroy your entire world with their brilliant new album – HYENA. A stunning 30 minute blast of filth ridden Death Blackened Sludge Hardcore brutality that will shake you to the core.

Serpent Eater are mega-pissed and they stay that way through out. First track – Ebola – is aptly named as this song spreads like the legendary disease it was named after. Brutal riffs will soon take over your body and there is no escaping the inevitable outcome. Devastation at every corner. Vocals and riffs are played loud and mean through out. Death and destruction is lurking through out this album. There is no cure and there is no escape. It's best to comply with these dark overlords of noise. As it's pretty meaningless to escape.

Serpent Eater are very hard to describe. They play a mixture of Death Metal, Doom, Sludge Metal, Black Metal and Hardcore but they don't play to one specific genre. The band play a brutal mix of all these great genres and the results are equally electrifying as your worst nightmares come to life.

Tracks such as Last Cold World, In The Wall and Hyena fully embrace the dark visions that the band will soon have you looking over your shoulder. As the band have written some horrific lyrics to match the constant onslaught of dangerous vocals and music through out. And I loved every filth ridden second of it.

Serpent Eater are another great band coming from the German Sludge/Doom Metal scene. It was my good friend Michael from German Doom-Sludge-Popsters – WALL – who first recommended this band to me. And boy was I hooked. So Michael – I thank you for the recommendation my friend.

This album does have a great hard-rocking vibe despite the dark lyrical content. I even started to head-bang to this album the more times I listened to it. It's a dark and mysterious vision that will have you begging for more. Serpent Eater is an album that will go down a storm with the hardcore moshpit crew as it embraces the dark and dangerous side of Sludge Metal that we all need to hear now and again.

All in all, Hyena is a stunning release that you all need to check out now.

Brilliant and Highly Recommended.

Hyena is now available to buy Digital Download, Vinyl from Alerta Antifascista Records and CD through Hammerheart Records

Check The Band From Links Below


Written by Steve Howe