Beats and yelling: Serpent Rider

The Ichor of Chimera
Out 28^th March on No Remorse Records

Following the promising ‘Visions of Esoteric Splendor’ split in 2021 with Ezra Brooks, Serpent Rider return with an unapologetically heavy metal debut, sidelining the extreme metal elements of the EP. This is done for the sake of expanding on rich, longform tracts of classic metal stylings through NWOBHM, USPM, and doom metal.

The presentation is modest and intimate. The dual guitar attack left to dominate the mix with a rich, warm tone that implies size through the mechanics of riffcraft as opposed to endless effects banks. Drums are equally austere, a distinct, bass punch cutting through the mix convincingly whilst remaining tethered to a vaguely retro aesthetic. Owing to this deliberately sparse production, the bass is able to cut through with ease, delivering clear and assertive anchoring lines across the high end interplay of the guitars. Mournful clean vocals complete the picture. Villar’s range may be more limited than is common for this style, but she utilises an interesting mix of choral, folk, and Middle Eastern melodic signatures to add layers of subtle emotive depth.

This latter point is enhanced by the broad range of moods explored across this album. The darkly epic doom of the title track adds a degree of gothic grandeur, contrasting nicely with the preceding ‘Radiant’, a subtly powerful piece of old school power metal calling on gothic romance to add an undertone of dramatic flair.

Serpent Rider are still keen to exert their latent extreme metal roots through the clever use of blast-beats and tremolo strumming, usually deployed as a continuation of a preceding theme, as is the case with ‘Matri Deorum’, thus integrating different genres into a more fully realised whole overseen by the broad umbrella of heavy metal. Or else on the closing number ‘In Spring’, possibly the most melodically rich piece. Lead melodies are used effectively to accent moments of tension alongside the usual pageantry of playful soloing, interweaving a dual guitar attack to great effect.

A basket of competing emotive currents brought to life by clever integration of melodic and harmonic signatures into the rhythm section, thus emphasising the intention of the lead section and vocals, and allowing the piece to flow as a cohesive whole. ‘The Ichor of Chimera’ is subtly intense, a creative, fully realised work of oddly haunting heavy metal, one that captures many aspects of adjacent genres into a coherent whole. The drab doom of its mid-section bookended by eclectic speed metal that reaches for moments of euphoria nevertheless underpinned by a peripheral sorrow.

Serpent Rider dispense with the pageantry and pomp so often associated with modern heavy metal’s memefied form, instead adopting a darker, sober, yet no less optimistic interpretation of the genre, updating its technical language through its consciousness of extreme metal technique. The result is a subtly varied work, touching on multiple themes and moods throughout.