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SERPENT CORPSE
Blood Sabbath

Self-released (2023)
Rating: 8/10

Forming out of Montréal in Québec, Canada in 2020, Serpent Corpse is still a relatively new addition to the death metal league because Blood Sabbath is the band’s debut full-length outing.

Opening track proper ‘Electric Eye’ begins with an almost classic Slayer vibe; the tension of the chords, the hard drums and that air of suspense and foreboding. From here on in the track maintains a steady, ominous chugging which draws you in like a lethal, sapping fog. The vocals here are not necessarily the indecipherable pukes one would imagine, instead you get hit by a chesty bark not a million miles away from a Celtic Frost inspired Darkthrone. On ‘Nemesis’ Serpent Corpse showcases its ability to provide a more aggressive pace, but again there is that mid-tempo injection.

Although the band logo and cover art suggests something murkier contained, this is actually a rather crisp death metal opus boasting clear instrumentation as evidenced on the hefty ‘Let The Rats Feed’ with its melodious yet aching rhythms.

This is a fantastic melodic death metal opus yet one bereft of gloss even with its crystal clear dynamics. The thumping percussion is key to the success here, particularly the way it kicks on ‘Crucifixion Shrine’ and the thudding ‘Land Of Rot And Misfortune’. Throughout this monster of a record there is a Scandinavian flair, more so in those vocal commands. ‘Swallowed Whole By The Abyss’ and the epic title track exude an arrogance alongside a mature and methodical ethos to the point of expressing some truly memorable riffs.

Blood Sabbath is a fantastic debut release from Serpent Corpse whose future is clearly bright if they continue in such a vein and with these ingredients.

Neil Arnold

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