Serpent of Old – Ensemble Under the Dark Sun (Review)

This is the debut album from Serpent of Old, a death metal band from Turkey.

Featuring the vocalist of Decimation, (also ex-Abolish), Ensemble Under the Dark Sun is a 42-minute monster of extreme metal. Mixing together black metal and doom, with elements of the progressive, dissonant, and atmospheric strains of death metal, Ensemble Under the Dark Sun is shockingly accomplished.

This is a complex and intricate release that’s remarkably well-crafted. It sounds as if every second of the music has been thought about and considered, while still retaining an organic feel as if the tracks have been grown, rather than written.

Each song is a journey unto itself, leading the listener through labyrinthine chambers to see esoteric sights and learn dark secrets. Powered by the sort of riffs that are rarely encountered in the wild, and layered with affecting melody and immersive atmosphere, these tracks are exemplars of blackened style and imposing depth.

Sinister textures lurk within the music, ensnaring the unwary. Blackened nightmare stalks prey openly, while brutal aggression kicks in doors and burns houses to the ground. Melody lashes out like something barbed and wicked, while absorbing soundscapes rise and fall with effortless grace. Serpent of Old have managed to create something that’s as devastating as it is infectious and mesmerising.

Serpent of Old have manifested out of the void fully formed and crushingly impressive. Ensemble Under the Dark Sun is an exceptional record that I urge you to experience if you have a taste for this sort of multifaceted, multi-genre black/death metal.

Fans of bands such as Ulcerate, Demilich, Heaving Earth, Deathspell Omega, Immolation, Suffering Hour, etc. should check this out.

Essential listening.