Top Bar
Musique Machine Logo Home ButtonReviews ButtonArticles ButtonBand Specials ButtonAbout Us Button
SearchGo Down
Search for  
With search mode in section(s)
And sort the results by
show articles written by  
 Review archive:  # a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Serpent Ascending - Ananku [I, Voidhanger - 2016]

Cult Finnish death metaller Jarno Nurmi's Serpent Ascending returns with Ananku, it's follow up to 2011's The Enigma Unsettled. Once again on I, Voidhanger, Serpent Ascending brings satanic, old school death metal to a willing audience. Grim and chock full of buzzsaws, Ananku may not summon any demons, but it will surely summon up good memories of death metal days gone by.

Death metal has certainly changed over the years, and this has caused a trend to revisit classic sounds. This is natural, it would seem, as music shifts further from the structures and tones that opened one's eyes to it, a longing for that old vibe arises. Serpent Ascending's Ananku captures this old school essence and presents it in a pretty unaltered format. With modern death metal songs increasing in length, the draw to extend tracks is powerful, but Serpent Ascending remains strong. With 8 songs at just a hair over 30 minutes, each track has enough time to do its thing, but not too much so that it loses its message. This is done very simply, but very well. That's not to say that the music is simple, but rather that its straight forward, no frills approach is an efficient way to capture the old school death metal vibe. Buzzsaw guitars break into dizzying, tangled choruses and add a hazy, mystical air to each song. Mid-paced toms pummel along while clean, crisp, quick double bass blasts propel Ananku forward. Adding to the grim mix is the evil, throaty growl of the vocals. Summoning images of rituals and sacrifices, the hoarse screams bring the gloomy death to completion.

Serpent Ascending's second release on I, Voidhanger is a short, but very welcome stab at rekindling the old school death aesthetic. Well written and not overreaching, Ananku plays to its strengths and sticks comfortably to classic inspiration. Plus, being only a half an hour long, it can easily be spun twice in a row for maximum effect.

Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5

Paul Casey
Latest Reviews

Serpent Ascending - Ananku
Cult Finnish death metaller Jarno Nurmi's Serpent Ascending returns with Ananku, it's follow up to 2011's The Enigma Unsettled. Once again on I, Voidhanger, ...
011223   High Tide - The Complete Libe...
011223   Gorguts - From Wisdom to Hate
011223   Various Artists - Destination...
301123   Journey to the Centre of the ...
301123   Footprints - Footprints(Blu Ray)
301123   Takashi Watanabe - One
291123   Black Leather Jesus - Rider
281123   Seamus Cater - A History of ...
281123   Jürg Frey - String Trio
281123   Meitei - Kofū III
Latest Articles

IO - Of Sound, Of Art, Of Expression
IO is a Brazilian visual artist, scenographer, fashion designer, performer and electronic music producer from Porto Alegre. Sonically her works move between ...
181023   IO - Of Sound, Of Art, Of Exp...
210923   Lucky Cerruti - Of Not so Fri...
290823   The Residents - The Trouble W...
110723   Yotzeret Sheydim Interview - ...
250523   TenHornedBeast - Into The Dee...
050523   Bill Morroni - The Trials & ...
280323   Magnus Granberg - Finding Emo...
230223   Trou Aux Rats - The Funeral I...
020223   The Residents & Support - Liv...
300123   Worship - In Praise Of Walled...
Go Up
(c) Musique Machine 2001 -2023. Twenty two years of true independence!! Mail Us at questions=at=musiquemachine=dot=comBottom