Freakin' energetic as all get out, Israel's thrash attackers DARK SERPENT
assemble songs full of fantastic hooky riffage and satisfying dynamics.
These
guys have had time to hone their craft since Dark Serpent began way
back in 1997. They recorded an EP in 2000 and after their attempt at
recording a full length album in 2006 fell through, they finally hit the
studio in 2010 to put together their debut album titled M.K.C. (Mass
Killing Convention) for a 2011 release date.
So 12 years to get out a debut? That's one long road, but in the end
it paid off. The songs I've heard off M.K.C. made me sit here on my
computer and spew all kinds of thrash fanboy yammering about just how
kick-ass Dark Serpent happens to be.
In addition to all the thrash insanity that Dark Serpent expertly churns out, these guys add some healthy weight to their songs via
impressive musical prowess. Lead guitarist Giardello Caravagio's solos
are well-crafted and the music-only sections in songs such as Siatha
De’shmaya are fun as hell to experience.
So check out the tunes below and thrash out! If you like it, you can
purchase M.K.C. here and then keep up with Dark Serpent here.
------------------------------------------------------
Sweden's ENTRENCH offers up some hard-hitting thrash with melodic twists
and a freakin' cornucopia of slamming riffs to cause serious neck PAIN.
Guitarist/vocalist
Fredrik Pellbrink can hammer out catchy hooks and rhythms, filling each
Entrench song with savage doses bad-assery. Off their Inevitable Decay
album, songs such as Portrait of a Phobia highlight the array of riffage
that Entrench can successfully weave into a song, bringing to mind
Schuldiner-style DEATH as well as hints of Obituary-style stomp.
Other songs such as Into Oblivion and Blind Illusion use headbanging
dynamics to the fullest extent as the lads keep the speedy and
half-time rhythms tight and furious.
As I listened to the full
Inevitable Decay album, I couldn't keep count of how many times I kept
saying, "Killer!" or "Bad-ass!" or "ERMAHGERD" or…well, you get the
point.
Check out the tunes below and then hit them up here.
Dark Serpent took about 20 seconds to strike me as a "must-have" and is on its way. Entrench is all queued up for next payday... I find new music from reading your blog - how the hell did you find these? It is mind-boggling to me that there is this much great shit so far below the radar - thanks for shining a light!
ReplyDeleteGog - Yeah, these bands are must-haves, for sure. As far as finding these gems, believe me that I have to dig through a sea of blands and try-hards, but with enough digging the good ones are there to be found. I'm just happy to help everyone with the digging.
ReplyDeleteBoth my dad and older brother are both musicians who seem a little hardened when it comes to new music. I tell them there is SO MUCH out there online - whether it's blues, jazz, or freakin' grindcore. Nowadays, we can unearth the one lone dude who is recording fantastic stuff in his basement, and we can put his stuff in regular listening rotation along with Slayer, Deep Purple, or Mozart. The internet has offered up a level playing field. YAY for us!
For full disclosure, Entrenched got a hold of me regarding their music and possible write-up, and I'm glad they did!