(This is Daniel Barkasi’s review of a debut album by the German occult black metal band SRPNTS, which will be released on October 2nd by Serpent Sun Records.)
Discovery is at the heart of what makes our music-craving juices flow, for this scribe anyway. There’s always the insufferable “nothing good came out since 1991” curmudgeons, but to the truly initiated, the current day is quite an exciting, and sometimes overwhelming, time to be in the thick of the near constant barrage of quality music that comes our way most weeks. While plenty of the best musical moments do come from acts that we’re already familiar with, sometimes that thrill comes from a completely fresh entity that couldn’t have been predicted.
With that in mind, enter SRPNTS.
A fresh new black metal act that comes from Serpent Sun Records, and as we spoke of their track record in the Novae Militiae review, this of course piqued our interest. Described as a black metal formulation deeply entrenched in the occult, the subject matter isn’t off the beaten path for the genre of course, but when you get into the music, it doesn’t take long to ascertain that SRPNTS aren’t playing the same game as many others.
To describe their approach to black metal, Ofermod quickly comes to mind both in sound and theme, while Behexen is a certain influence inside the ritualistic and often aggressive tone. SRPNTS, however, does stand out on their own merit, delivering an ardent and altogether indignant offering by way of their debut full-length Second Shape.
Opening the journey with an acoustic passage adds a smidgeon of serenity – much akin to Terrestrial Hospice’s just-released Omnicide – Chapter I – and it doesn’t last long until “Beneath The Weight of Stars” unleashes a studious, weighty guitar rhythm, slamming down like a sledgehammer. Doom-adjacent in pace and conjoined with gritty roars morphing into impassioned wails, the music reeks of purpose. The slick melodic leads add an airiness, allowing the music to be exceptionally heavy while simultaneously loaded with dynamics – a device that Second Shape heartily embraces to profound effectiveness.
Moving into nastier territory is “Inter Limina” via a sharpened edge and furious urgency. The ceremonial aura never wanes, but SRPNTS enjoy attacking from unpredictable directions, leaving the listener constantly eager for what maniacal provocation lies in wait. The vocal performance is stellar in both the stern, confident delivery and the wide array of tones utilized; each grunt, abyssal roar, hair-raising scream and chilling spoken word segment is calculated in both when and how they’re discharged, always keeping the betterment of the song foremost, as we’re lured further into the band’s occult demonstration.
Initiative grows as the record progresses with the expanded scope of the suffocating, mesmerizing “Cold Alignment” and the exceedingly dark closer “Coagula.” The former embraces a steady buildup; stretching, layered guitar leads and harmonies dangle all over, as the drums steadily increase in velocity until the track erupts in a rage before allowing a select amount of air to escape. “Coagula” provides the most spine-tingling, desperate voicings on offer in what is one of the most nerve-rattling black metal songs you’ll hear this year. This isn’t full-on blasting black metal that only knows one trick, but a rich, transportive experience that’s penned with utmost creative zeal that’s of their specific design.
There’s more than enough fiery, shredding black metal moments to be had for those who like their black metal punchy – “O Furnace of the Inner Night” overflows with significant ferocity inside its nearly eight minutes of deformed, dismal excretions, whereas “The Seal of Will” unleashes more than enough impetus sewn together with blistering tremolo segments, resulting in a molten flow of extreme duress. Considering all of the many layers of SRPNTS’ music, the production and the mix is balanced so that all of the nitty-gritty details can be picked out, and when observed as a whole, they combine into a most powerful final form.
As detailed of a mosaic that Second Shape is, every element enhances the others, avoiding the pitfall of trying to cram in too many ingredients and the result being convoluted and disjointed nonsense. Rather, there’s an unequivocal focus to lure the listener into their spell, and a spirited elixir it is. Truth be told, we’re not privy at the time of writing of who may be involved in this project, but there’s quite a song-crafting aptitude present in SRPNTS that’s preposterous to dismiss. Second Shape amounts to an immersive and disquieting exploration into stringently esoteric, compelling black metal. You’ve been warned – any black metal rejoicer worth their salt will want to invite this one in.
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