Review SERPENT “The Pit and The Pendulum”

A 26-year gap between a band’s formation and the release of its debut album has to be some kind of record. In Serpent’s case, that’s exactly what happened. Formed in Stockholm in 2000, the band managed to release a handful of demos before calling it quits in 2007. In 2022, however, Serpent got a new lease on life, largely thanks to the arrival of Kristian Niemann, whom we know from Therion and Sorcerer. Niemann is also responsible for all instruments on the debut album, which is finally seeing the light of day. Kenneth Alutoin completes the lineup on vocals, and they have put together nine tracks that form the backbone of The Pit and the Pendulum.

Musically, Serpent operate in the realm of melodic death metal, occasionally adding a few dramatic touches to the mix. The pounding title track stands out in particular, combining barking death metal with some fine melodic passages.

There are also moments that bring some welcome variety, such as “Season of the Witch”. Frida Cewrien-Sollerhag’s operatic vocal contributions provide an interesting counterpoint to the sheer heaviness of the song.

Lyrically, Serpent mainly draw on historical events, as demonstrated by tracks like “Der Hexenjäger”. The song deals with Matthew Hopkins, an English witch hunter, while “Magna Mortalitas” takes on the subject of the plague in Europe. These are dark stories from the past that the band translates into music in an effective way, adding plenty of intensity along the way.

The fact that Serpent are releasing their debut album 26 years after forming the band is remarkable in itself. The fact that the songs on The Pit and the Pendulum also turn out to be good makes the whole thing even more rewarding. Sure, there’s nothing particularly revolutionary here, and influences from bands like Children of Bodom and Amon Amarth occasionally shine through. Still, this is an album that’s easy to enjoy from beginning to end.