The idea of friendship is something that can sometimes get lost in translation in the creation of music. Born from their touring time together at Rockstar’s Mayhem Festival, the unlikely combination of George Fischer, Adam Dutkiewicsz and Shannon Lucas formed a bond built on those most sturdy of things Metal. Bringing together their musical outputs the band at long last release their first foray into the unknown as Serpentine Dominion.
[tracklist]
- Intro
- The Vengeance In Me
- Vanquished Unto Thee
- Divide, Conquer, Burn and Destroy
- Sovereign Hate
- On The Brink Of Devastation
- Jagged Cross Legions
- Prelude
- This Endless War
[/tracklist]
[details]
[length]26:00[/length]
[record_label]Metal Blade Records[/record_label]
[release_date]October 28th 2016[/release_date]
[/details]
Metalcore and Death Metal. Hardly two genres that you would think would sit well together. Polarising in their differences with one lending its ear to melody and the other often being the total opposite opener simply titled “Intro” has all the hallmarks of that classic Killswitch Engage sound. Acoustic guitars leading into a heroic sounding harmony section this is page one Metalcore stuff, then Corpsegrinder appears. Somewhat jarring in “The Vengeance In Me” the singer flits from his higher register piercing scream to the locomotive munching guttural roar all the while guitars are being well and truly put through their paces by Dutkiewicsz.
Keeping the pace topped up, showcasing just what made Shannon Lucas such a valuable asset to The Black Dahlia Murder in their earlier years the powerhouse drumming on “On The Brink Of Devaststion” moves from rapture inducing chorus to a brilliant riff complete with pick scrape. With a legacy as big as Killswitch Engage’s and a sound as recognisable to be able to completely shake free from that would be impossible. “Sovereign Hate” again having all the Adam D trademarks yet is added something with Corpsegrinder’s remorseless and immovable lyrics.
For those looking for a form of Portnoy level of musicianship, pushing the boundaries with a new project leave now. Understanding exactly what this is key to loving it. Fans of Metalcore will eat this up, Death Metal fans with their history of being somewhat more picky might be hesitant but it’s hard to fault any of the layers present on the record. A record born out of friendship is exactly what you would expect, Cannibal Engage, Killswitch Corpse whatever you want to call it, it’s a seriously bloodthirsty and fun ride.
[verdict]Yes[/verdict]
[why]Born out of friendship Serpentine Dominion sounds exactly as you would expect it to. Cherry picking the best elements of all three players’ bands it’s a fast ride that you’ll no doubt be a fan of.[/why]
