Welcome to The Sludgelord!
Presenting up to date news, reviews & interviews for riff addicts around the world.
This is 'Liberation through Amplification.'
Showing posts with label Shrine of the Serpent. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shrine of the Serpent. Show all posts
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.
Only
the best of the best Doom can create that indefinable feeling of dread and that
sinking feeling like no other, heavier than the ton weight squashing wile
coyote cloaked in atmosphere, sombre and unceasing. Portland band Aldebaran
members alongside Tenspeed Warlock and Roanoke come together for their new
project Shrine of the Serpent (SOTS)
Releasing
their eponymous, self-titled, three track debut of monstrous death doom to
rapturous reception, I have a listen and see what they have to give.
‘9
Gates of Shadow’ is an eerie beginning; spoken words oozing doom and gloom,
setting the scene for the heaviest riff you can imagine, blacker than the
devils soul. With full blown ferocity it appears and pitches a tent in your
lugholes. Hubner’s drum work pounding into the skull and Janeczek’s death metal
roaring encapsulating the vibe totally; like a wounded animal in pain he
persists. Torturous and unrelenting it churns the stomach and chills the psyche
of all those who are brave enough to listen before ending with some atmospheric
playback.
‘King
In Red’with a shudder I listen, whiny feedback; atmospheric sound
effects hinting at the psychedelic before the aural assault begins. Pure evil,
dark and dank in its misery has arrived and by the love of all that is Satan,
you know it! The plaintive, melancholic riffs harken back to the sounds of
Solitude Aeturnus and Candlemass; heavily accented by growling vocals and
double-kick drumming for a full on emotional effect. An epic offering of just
under 12 minutes, not once does it ease up, never giving the listener time to
get bored or to even breathe, it is relentless in its awesomeness.
‘Gods
of Blight’ opens up with a female vocal passage to begin with, a gloomy, Edgar
Allan Poe style story, supernatural in presentation creating the perfect
demonic atmosphere. Riffs cloaked in murkiness and shadow creates that sinking
feeling with ease, the despondency in the lyricism palpable. Here as throughout
the album, they blend sludge, doom and death metal with bravura making one hell
of a tune. Whilst
there is only 3 tracks to this EP, this record keeps to one of the key features
of doom metal: the length of songs. Each song is over 8 minutes long, with the
longest just under 12, but that doesn’t mean they’re lacking in quality; all of
them have an incredible feel.
Combining
death and doom metal does not always work, in this case it does, and
fabulously.
‘SOTS’
is a monolith, with Janeczek’s vocals; gut wrenching and raspy, lyrics that are
about as death metal as they come- just short of Cannibal Corpse and Behemoth.
Spine chilling, buzzing riffs and inordinately heavy drums all working in
synchronicity, significantly enhanced with a dark atmosphere that sends
shivers, chills and dread coursing through the listener just as it should.
With
their ability to mould huge, mean, ugly riffs into mammoth landscapes of sorrow
and despair, it is the raging black soulless melody of SOTS that holds the
attention, opening portals in the mind to dark imagery and wonderment.
An
impressive debut from a band that understands the aural conveyance of tortured
souls and mental anguish.
