In the Company of Serpents – Wonderbox Metal

In the Company of Serpents – A Crack in Everything (Review)

In the Company of Serpents are a doom metal band from the US and this is their fifth album.

I’ve enjoyed watching In the Company of Serpents ply their heaviness over the years. From 2014’s Merging in Light, to 2017’s Ain-Soph Aur, to 2020’s Lux, the band have always put releases out that hit the spot for me. Now, five years after their last album, we have the 44-minute A Crack in Everything to satiate our need for sludge/doom soundscapes. Continue reading “In the Company of Serpents – A Crack in Everything (Review)”

Generation of Vipers – Guilt Shrine (Review)

This is the fifth album from US sludge metal band Generation of Vipers.

I last heard Generation of Vipers on 2011’s Howl and Filth, which was a long time ago, (their last album actually came out in 2014 though, which I missed). Guilt Shrine contains 35 minutes of sludgy menace. Continue reading “Generation of Vipers – Guilt Shrine (Review)”

Aequorea – Departure (Review)

This is the third album from US doom/post-metal band Aequorea.

Spread out over five engaging tracks, Departure is a 41-minute amalgamation of doom, post-metal, sludge, and blackened elements. This is my first encounter with Aequorea, but they make a good impression. Continue reading “Aequorea – Departure (Review)”

Abhoria – Depths (Review)

Abhoria are a black metal band from the US and this is their second album.

Featuring members of the mighty Ashen Horde, Depths is the 45-minute follow up Abhoria’s 2022’s self-titled record. There’s a new vocalist this time around too, (from In the Company of Serpents), who delivers a visceral performance throughout, with savage screams and world-swallowing growls. Continue reading “Abhoria – Depths (Review)”

In the Company of Serpents – Lux (Review)

In the Company of Serpents are a doom/sludge band from the US and this is their fourth album.

Having thoroughly enjoyed Merging in Light and Ain-Soph Aur, a new 44 minutes of music from In the Company of Serpents is very welcome indeed. Continue reading “In the Company of Serpents – Lux (Review)”

In the Company of Serpents – Ain-Soph Aur (Review)

In the Company of Serpents are a doom/sludge band from the US and this is their third album.

We’re familiar with the work of In the Company of Serpents from their 2014 EP Merging in Light. This was a delightfully heavy and fuzzed-up example of pitch-black doom, and now the band have returned to once more pulverise everything before them, but this time in a slightly different way. Continue reading “In the Company of Serpents – Ain-Soph Aur (Review)”

Mares of Diomedes/Dreich – Split (Review)

This is a split between two sludge/doom bands – Mares of Diomedes from Ireland and Dreich from Denmark.

Mares of Diomedes start us off with two songs of bastard-heavy metal, lasting 13 minutes.

This is fuzzed-up and harsh, with colossal riffs drenched in distortion being unleashed like they are going out of fashion. With Continue reading “Mares of Diomedes/Dreich – Split (Review)”

Organ – Tetro (Review)

Organ are an Italian Doom band. This is their début album.

Organ play a merging of Doom, Sludge and Psychedelic Metal.

A colossal, crushing sound heralds Tetro’s beginning, and this is a theme which is developed throughout. They’re not without their introspective moments, but the overall emphasis is on heavy atmospheres.

Speaking of atmosphere, Organ have it in buckets. Or rather, waves, as the onslaught of heaviness seems to internally generate its own ecosystem which bleeds out of the speakers like controlled tsunamis of density.

Relentless, repetitive rhythms drive the music forward, while dark vocals seem to lurk just beneath the surface. Harsh screams and cleaner vocals both have a place on this record, although the singer’s voice is used like an additional instrument to merely enhance the power and focus of the main musical maelstrom.

A roiling, churning beast of an album. It’s relatively short for this kind of release at ‘just’ over half an hour in length, but it packs a lot of punches into that time and Tetro is a very worthwhile listen for anyone into layered, atmospheric Doom.

For fans of Om, Electric Wizard, Sleep, Yob, In the Company of Serpents, Ufomammut, Generation of Vipers, etc.

In the Company of Serpents – Merging in Light (Review)

In the Company of Serpents are from the US and this is their latest EP. They play Doom/Sludge.

Just three tracks and over 21 minutes of heavy, heavy music; In the Company of Serpents play tar-black Doom with an emphasis on riffs and a crushing delivery.

The vocals sound anguished and tormented, like some damned soul released from Hell just long enough to tell everyone how bad it is. Rough and mournful.

The fuzzy guitars propel the tracks forward and the band know a good riff when they hear one. The colossal weight of the guitars drowns everything else out; the rest sound like a mere afterthought.

The songs sound like demented Black Sabbath tracks that have been left to fester and then, when they’re at their most ripe, covered in a layer of Sludge so thick that only the guitars are recognisable.

In the Company of Serpents are always an enjoyable band whenever I encounter them and this EP is no different. Like a car crash of Black Sabbath, High on Fire, Generation of Vipers and filthy Sludge Metal in general; they deliver the goods, although they may be a bit reeking and despoiled by the time they get to you.

Recommended.