Band: SERPENTS
Country: Sweden
Title: The Brimstone Clergy
Label: War Anthem Records
Year: 2020
Style: Black Metal

Review:
Oh man, the beginning of this EP reminded me so much of the beginning of Setherial's epic Lords of the Nightrealm, after a very short, calm intro the band gets to the most staggering, vertiginous Black Metal speed and savagery in perfect Setherial / Marduk like Swedish Black Metal tradition, so it's quite clear what to expect from this mysterious up and coming trio from Orebro that appeared on the firmament in 2018 with a short self-titled EP featuring two tracks and an outro. Now, on this second EP, we're treated with 4 brutal and savage Black Metal tracks and an acoustic medieval guitar interlude that I was totally not expecting, interlude that separates the fifth, final track from the rest for a good reason, this one sounds more like a Pagan Black Metal track, mid-tempo, melodic, catchy, totally different from the rest. Not sure what the deal is with this obvious difference in composition and rhythm, is the last track an experiment, or is it supposed to be a hint of what's going to come, or it just simply felt natural to the band to have it close this EP. Anyway, the thing is the band is well worth of being discovered and it has potential to be among the leaders of the current Swedish Black Metal scene, there's interest around them, they pack a very suitable band name, their image is good although quite common these days, and above all they sound damn good! There's not much innovation on this EP, actually there's none, but the intensity, the conviction and skillfulness they manage to deliver their compositions are enough to recognize their potential.
Reviewed by Adrian
Rating: 8.5/10

Contact:
serpents1.bandcamp.com
war-anthem.de