Serpent Eater - Vanitas LP
Serpent Eater know exactly who they are and what they are doing on 'Vanitas'. Opening with a stomping black metal crusher of a riff overlaid with cackling screams and ripping double kicks, this is blackened crust at it's most operatic and metallic. The production and performances here are supremely polished and well rehearsed, there isn't so much as a squeak of feedback that feels out of place. Soundwise Serpent Eater lean heavily on the black metal side, with rocking black'n'roll sections interspersed with huge sounding blasts and absolutely punishing double kick drums. Their riffs are certainly serpentine as well, meandering around and over the drums like the coils of a resting python, springing to life for moments of attack before coiling back in on themselves. Vocally they range from the head tilted back howling screams of black metal to almost guttural death growls, this is used almost instrumentally to add dynamics to their compositions. This is a professional and expertly performed and produced release that sees Serpent Eater sounding like a true venue destroyer, certainly a band at the very top of their game and worth catching!
7Degrees Records