Serpent Omega – Self-Titled
Serpent Omega
Self-Titled
Released January 2013
Sludge-Doom Metal
Released via Mordgrimm Records
Formed in 2011, you would be forgiven for wondering exactly why you haven’t heard of Serpent Omega before and what they have to do with the revival of the sludge doom scene. Hailing from Sweden, a country with its roots deep in Black, Death and Doom Metal as well as all things Nordic, Serpent Omega carry the mantle of their musical and historical forefathers with pride and encourage others to worship the riff. It’s surprising that they’re a four piece considering the weight of the riffs and the thick foggy atmosphere produced by their sound and screeching vocals that lend a lot to what has come before, but at the same time is innovative and new.
Serpent Omega’s self-titled LP gives the Sludge Doom genre a breath of fresh air and offers plenty of riffs to bang your head to. The track Konflux is a classic example that resembles early Cathedral with its crunchy guitars and a bass that sounds more like an explosion. The vocals of the front woman Pia are refreshing and range from snarled and choked to ethereal and chant-like within the space of a song.
All elements combined provide an insight back into the bleak early 90’s, but they succeed where many have failed. There is variety in between tracks, and although they maintain that dusty and dirty atmosphere we crave from Doom, there are surprises in the form of blast beats, chanting and lead guitar patterns that any Death Metal guitarist would be proud of.
The production is honest and sounds distant. Pia for instance, sometimes sounds like she’s shouting from the bottom of a well, but that only adds to the crushing atmosphere of the album that gradually intensifies.
The track Smoke Ritual sounds like the bastard child of Entombed’s Wolverine Blues and Cathedral’s Forest of Equilibrium, and is full of riffs worthy of worship, but the sound is fresh and perhaps more accessible than the albums it is obviously influenced by. It certainly has the elements of groovy swinging riffs that Cathedral made their own, but it also has the biting attitude of Entombed and it is a winning combination.
Overall, Serpent Omega will appeal to those that desire to return to the doom scene of the early 90’s and although they will satisfy your sludgy cravings, they offer a modern twist on the genre.
4/5
Alex Cook
Serpent Omega online:
http://www.serpentomega.com/
https://www.facebook.com/serpentomega
http://serpentomega.bandcamp.com/
Valkyrian Music 
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