Walking in step with the wicked, cracking open their ante-scriptural snakeskin tomes and delivering seven fork-tongued sermons sans superscriptions Portugal/Iceland-borne black metal quintet SERPENTES demand devotion to the underdark with escalating conviction on this righteously invoked introductory creed. From a wheezing throat crushed by daimonian hand their debut full-length album, ‘Desert Psalms‘, conveys the purgation of the light as the freeing of the mind through envenomed release. As an off-color black metal experience it is naturally riff-intensive, a puzzled together flow of inspiration made demanding per the odd handed skill of the unhinged devotees involved.

Serpentes is a (likely) newer conception from Portuguese musician A.Ara (Storm Legion) who is best known for his guitar work in Angrenost. For this project he’s pulled in two folks from that band’s current line-up including bassist Erdsaf and drummer M.S. (Misþyrming, ex-Svartidauði) alongside Ólöf Rún Benediktsdóttir from experimental electronic rock/noise trio Svartþoka, as well as the imposing D.G. (Andavald, ex-Skáphe) to complete an even larger crossover with folks from Misþyrming. Of course their collective reputations precede them for anyone with strong interest in regional black metal, experimental collaborations, and disruptive black metal ideation. I’ve no specific information on each members roles, though we can make some assumptions for most of these folk’s involvement in plain examination of performance. If you are as deeply familiar with ‘Magna Lua Ordem M​í​stica‘ and ‘Með hamri‘ as I am you’ll likely sort the main vocalist and guitarist(s) from the roster provided.

‘Desert Psalms‘ is delivered with few official words, a testament to the unattainable and obscure nature of black metal orthodoxy, or, simply a call to those truly interested to delve in by instinct and keenest notions. As such, suggestions of not only a defiant and lawless spirit being set behind this work but also a sense of purification by fire and destruction, a reach for what I’d consider the Ancient Darkness… if we can grasp at terms auld Tolkien attuned eyes and ears might best understand as both natural phenomena, possession and spiritual weaponry. With these ideas held fast in mind we can approach the full listen of Serpentes‘ debut as a hand-carved river, a rapidly cut channel which flows through (and past) many wild ideas but rarely plants itself in a way that’d stifle the path towards its pooling fade.

Before the incredible rush of riff bursts in full surround at the apex of opener “I” the first of seven pieces in descent opens with what I assume are vocals from Benediktsdóttir in Icelandic and in a Scandinavian hymnal/folken cadence. Without a reprise of these vocals anywhere else on the album I’d found this particularly settling as a starting point, an ode accompanied by the sound of flowing water and carrying a serious devotional tone. As “off” as those observations of tone might be on my end what follows is unquestionably a thread of confrontation, a wall of harass shouted across the grand ravine which collides within ringing, dreadfully clubbed and beaten entrance. From a devotional prayer at a lifespring to a clash for the ages this ~10 minute song eventually finds its dual-rhythmic voice, rising and falling into a buzzing well of riff after riff in commanding string. Hitting that ~seventh minute or so on the song and feeling the frenzy of it all is, for my own taste, one of the more thrilling movements on an album packed with both erratic-charged and neatly set compositions. From that point the album begins to establish a more clear voice (or, set of voices) to follow downstream.

Psalm “III” through “VI” act as the defining thread of ‘Desert Psalms‘, offering a straining tension and chasmic resound in steadied reveal of broadening ouevre. Where “III” chimes and scales up through its rocking trample upward toward angelic chorale “IV” brings a declarative voice, a roar which mutters and simmers through its retching mid-section, growling at the gates of its spastic pace yet showering rhythm guitar streaks and points of exhilarating percussive congestion (see: ~2:53 minutes in) as Serpentes‘ inward-shot vortex truly forms; On initial passes through this detail and erratic sea of tension and collapsing movement there was the sense that all of it simply hummed together into one great shock of nox, noise that is dark yet not so defined that any one moment would (or, should) stand out. As we press on through the running order each piece brings some of its own profundity in entrance, less so upon exit, and in this way the deeper underground black metal of the late 90’s, early orthodox movements, each of these things finds a place within the chaotic swirling of it all (re: psalm “V” in particular). The full listen is more important to grasp, not just one or two songs along the way.

Psalm “VI” offers a natural apex, a harried point of entry, a devout chorale and a procession of wound-up lead guitars amidst growling, malign leadership. The way this piece reaches its unholiest high before softly disintegrating, toppling in increasingly dark turns as it quickly finishes the thought, isn’t the grand finale but it was the main event for my own taste. While I am far more familiar with Icelandic black metal and less so with vast stretches of (mostly the 2000’s) Portuguese black metal this song was a bizarre surprise per its Bathory-esque highs and avant-garde scrawling nuclear events (~2:03 minutes in) raising the pressure of the blood to its peak just when it’d appear the song was about to take a folken rest. While some of the vernacular and tones are familiar we could at least accuse this work of diverting its stream, a broad showing with some great bursts of energy and interest.

“VII” the finale itself is a release to start, an extended piano-drawn opening with a spoken first third ’til an almost post-black (or, prog rock?) guitar line repeated in mantra for a few minutes as the song completes its build-up. I wasn’t sure what to think of this exit as the effect is something like a melodic black metal interludium/crescendo until the main lead comes into view at the ~5:03 minute mark. If there is a weak spot on this album it is the way the endpoint simply plays the record out, with “VI” finishing the most explosive thought ‘Desert Psalms‘ carries. While there are some interesting parts to this closing statement as it floats and flails toward an end, it is an end for the sake of it. This ends up being a mild fracture, an ending which is just fine in relation to the full listen which finishes the bigger picture with some yet unheard of interest as its endpoint.

To be swept up into ‘Desert Psalms‘ was natural enough in experience, a black metal record which makes less-than obvious choices throughout and pays close attention to the ebb and flow of its many events. These ideas are abruptly delivered, easing through even the most discordant and chaotic blows via crudely-oiled yet meticulous machinery which extrudes otherness which slowly begins to feel specific to Serpentes yet is clearly built from tendencies existing fandom should recognize per those involved. Having enjoyed every moment of my time with this record, the harshest thing I could suggest is that this record feels like a side project but, only for the lack of an obviate, force fed signature. A high recommendation.

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