Serpent God – Denial Review

By ClarkKent

The digital era, where a band can release singles or EPs at a whim, seems to have tossed aside the concept of a B-sides compilation record. These albums consist of tunes that, for whatever reason, just didn’t make the cut on the main LP. This isn’t necessarily because those songs are bad. System of a Down’s Steal this Album! is, in my mind, just as much fun as their regular studio releases, and The Masterplan by Oasis is widely considered one of their best. Denial, the debut from Finland’s Serpent God, owes its existence to such B-side material, albeit from a different band: Se, Josta Ei Puhuta. While Se, Josta Ei Puhuta skews melodic death and thrash,1 after completing their 2022 record, Gehenna, they found themselves with leftover tracks that were too slow and mournful for what that group wanted to accomplish. The songs were too good to just toss away, though. As a result, three members from Se, Josta Ei Puhuta formed Serpent God and decided to unleash nine tracks of melancholic doom upon the sadboi lovers of the world.

While many complain about instrumental openers, “Denial” does a good job of prepping listeners emotionally and musically for what’s to come, with doleful keyboards and guitar licks. However, Serpent God truly establish their ability to pen infectious leads with the two gut-wrenching pieces of melodic doom that follow. “Beneath” evokes My Dying Bride with its combo of sorrowful melodies, slow and thunderous drumming, and vocalist Samu Mänikkö’s low, deep growl (something that becomes more of a rasp on later songs). Just when they’ve gotten you all buttered up, Serpent God then drive a stake through your heart with the lovely melodic lead on follow-up “Repent,” a killer tune that’ll go down as one of the best pieces of doom this year. Both tracks are on the long side, averaging seven minutes, but their progressive structures and shifts in tempo ensure that they remain compelling throughout. With such a great start, you understand why these guys didn’t want to leave these songs in the trash bin.

Serpent God harness all of their tools to try to squeeze tears from their listeners. Along with the evocative melodic leads described above, Mänikkö, who is also the guitarist, creates plaintive refrains using tremolos similar to those played by To Escape and Winds of Tragedy (“Alive,” “Sermon”). Mänikkö’s gently plucked arpeggios provide a reprieve from the heavier material during the bridge (“Repent,” “Revelation”), or as a way to pluck heartstrings from the start (“Beneath,” “Alive,” “Oblivion”). Vocally, Mänikkö shows less variety, largely sticking with his blackened rasps, but occasionally he surprises with cleans that accent the woeful guitar tones. Lush production values help the instruments evoke their melancholic tones, though there are a few questionable choices. The drums and bass lack the oomph of the guitars, but even worse is that nearly every time the keyboards play alone, there’s a distinct and annoying hum in the background.

At 50 minutes, and with most songs in the six-minute range, Denial does start to grow wearying as it approaches its end. While Serpent God do make use of tempo shifts, particularly on the energetic and effective “Sermon,” to break up the dourness of the surrounding material, the final three songs do not live up to the quality of what comes before. They feel like B-sides the band should have cut. These tracks feature awkward riffs, whispers, and spoken word portions—something that plagues other songs as well—that, combined with a lack of strong hooks, leaves the final fifteen minutes underwhelming. The three-minute conclusion, “Void,” ends the album with a series of tinkling, crystalline synths that feel anticlimactic compared to some of the big emotions evoked on prior tracks.

Clearly, the extra stuff leftover from Se, Josta Ei Puhuta’s Gehenna provided plenty of material to record a solid album. With Denial, Serpent God’s three members have proven they can write potent melodies, and they know how to hit you right in the feels. There’s enough quality music on Denial to have written a very good album, if only its arteries weren’t clogged with too much doomy fat and B-side material. It’s a shame, because there are some great songs, and for that, I do think this is worth a listen, even if I don’t recommend Denial as a whole. If anything, they have proven themselves to be a group to keep on your radar.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Inverse Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: October 10th, 2025

#25 #2025 #DeathDoom #Denial #DoomMetal #FinnishMetal #InverseRecords #MelodicMetal #MyDyingBride #Oct25 #Review #Reviews #SerpentGod #ToEscape #WindsOfTragedy

To Escape – I Wish to Escape Review

By ClarkKent

As the eruption of the craft beer scene saw a proliferation of beer styles, brewers found a need to stand out from the pack. To do so they created variations on the staples, thus the proliferation in IPAs, from hazy to smoothie to west coast. I see a parallel in metal, where bands attempt to stand out with unique genre tags. Thus, there’s doom jazz or blackened thrash or various other combinations. That brings us Chile’s To Escape, a fusion of raw black metal and traditional Latin dance. Anyone drawn by something novel will immediately take an interest based on a description like that. One has to be cautious, however, because there’s a fine line between a well-executed blend of styles and a superficial gimmick. Does I Wish to Escape prove songwriter David Sepulveda a master brewer of eclectic tunes?

In true raw black metal form, To Escape is a one-man band, with all parts written and performed by Sepulveda. Sepulveda predominantly uses stark tremolos that produce a harsh, fuzzy guitar tone. Those same harsh tones, however, create evocative, memorable, and lively melodies. Remarkably, given the usually low production values of raw black, the bass is also a dominant feature, adding a complex layer of funk and soul. Then there’s the major selling point–the percussion. The promo materials promise “snaps, bells, maracas, shakers, and guiro.” While the loudness of the guitars sometimes hides these various instruments, when you can pick them out, such as the early moments of “Those Who Don’t Know,” they add charm, personality, and a desire to get up and shake your hips. Combined with the highly energetic blast beats, it becomes apparent how I Wish to Escape earns a tag as dance music.

If there’s one thing likely to alienate listeners, it’s Sepulveda’s vocals. He sings with such raw, naked pain that you worry about the state of his larynx. If you’re familiar with Wizard Keep or Vampiric Coffin, those will give you a good idea how Sepulveda sounds, only louder. He can sometimes reach a hysterical pitch, sounding like a pleading Gollum (“Desert in My Eyes, In Your Eyes I See”) or an eerie ghoul (“That Unbreakable Chain”), and on a few moments his emotional outpouring is so draining it leaves him wheezing for breath (“Path of Your Destiny”). In an astonishing moment on “The Infinite Chain,” he swaps the shrieks for some cleans–and he sounds quite good! Considering the lyrical content about death and the wish “to escape,” his pained vocal style makes sense. The rest of the music provides a contrast, almost a celebration, to these dark themes. The fast-paced drumming brings vivacity, and the up-tuned tremolos sound buoyant, opposite those of his fellow countryman, Sergio Catalan (Winds of Tragedy), whose tremolos are much more sorrowful.

To Escape displays impressive musicianship and capable songwriting. Much like the raw black metal of Old Nick, the music is catchy and will keep playing in your head long after it’s over. The icing on the cake comes in the final 20 seconds of the already terrific “I Wish to Escape,” where Sepulveda breaks into a triumphant Latin dance beat. There’s so much to discover on I Wish to Escape, providing plenty to surprise and reward with each repeat listen. I can find little to fault on the record, yet it still falls just shy of greatness. The vocal style can be a touch grating, and the guitars tend to be a tad too loud. The drums sound tinny, and the additional percussions, while novel in concept, fail to truly stand out. I found myself simultaneously mesmerized by the musicianship and repelled by the sometimes over-the-top noisiness of the record.

I Wish to Escape is a must-listen for fans of raw black metal. It’s not just because To Escape has crafted a unique blend of styles, but because Sepulveda has created an exciting and enjoyable record. Similar to the satisfaction of drinking a uniquely flavored stout and actually tasting the promised secret flavor, To Escape allows its various flavors to audibly stand out, mostly. For those who choose to let the raw vocals stand in the way of giving the album a listen, you may have to answer to Cherd. Singing in such a pained way against the backdrop of bright dance beats is an artistic choice that serves to highlight the coexistence between agony and jubilation. This is well worth a listen.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream
Label: Liminal Dread Productions
Website: Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: July 11th, 2025

#2025 #35 #BlackMetal #ChileanMetal #IWishToEscape #Jul25 #LatinDance #LiminalDreadProductions #OldNick #RawBlackMetal #Review #Reviews #ToEscape #VampiricCoffin #WindsOfTragedy #WizardKeep