Release
date: October
18th
2019. Label: RidingEasy
Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
Endless
– Tracklisting
1.Lord
Deceptor 06:47
2.Into
the Fire
3.Daughter
of the Light
4.Hourglass
05:26
5.For
No One 07:44
6.Marijuana
Trench
Members
Scott
Penberthy - Guitar/Vocals
Nick
Donoughue - Guitar
Dave
Bartlett - Bass
Lance
Leembrugen - Drums
Review
Endless
is the 3rd album from Australian Heavy Psych Rockers Holy
Serpent and sees the band continue their partnership with RidingEasy
Records. This album continues where their 2016 effort TEMPLES left
off but with more emphasis on progression and storytelling. The album
has a more Doom orientated sound perhaps influenced by Uncle Acid in
places.
However
the Stoner Rock grooves allow Holy Serpent to create a richer and
heavier style of music. The album opens with the excellent sounding –
Lord Deceptor – which captures the seedy 70s Doom Rock environment
surprisingly well with elements of Occult Rock spliced with epic
amounts of Fuzz Rock. The vocals are rooted in 70s Hard Rock and
offer the band a more vintage feel compared to their previous albums.
Second
song – Into The Fire – opens with a more powerful Sludge Rock
sound and it’s a welcome change with the band becoming that little
bit more dangerous and edgier as well. The riffs are plentiful and
powerful with Holy Serpent biding their time in playing their
trademark Psychedelic Stoner Rock vibes. The song is more progressive
than you initially would expect and allows Holy Serpent to experiment
with their music. The vocals feel distant in places but have an
emotional core to them that I didn’t expect. The lyrics are superb
and give this song and perhaps bring the album truly to life.
Third
song – Daughter Of The Light – is perhaps the gloomiest and doom
based offering on the album as the whole environment becomes bleaker
as a result. The dark vocals have a sinister to feel to them but it’s
the music that impresses the most. As Holy Serpent bring a more
subtle feeling to their hybrid Psych/Fuzz/Stoner/Doom Rock sound. One
of the standout songs on the album.
Fourth
song – Hourglass – is a love letter to the classic 70s Doom
Rock/Metal scene as Holy Serpent play some epic Black Sabbath riffs
on the album and leave you with wanting more with moments of modern
sounding Fuzz Rock grooves being added for dark and twisted measure.
The
remaining 2 songs – For No One and Marijuana Trench – have a more
Stoner Rock approach with the Heavy Psychedelic sound still being the
main driving force for Holy Serpent to build their music from.
Marijuana Trench is the best song on the album and it’s a great
song to end the album with.
Endless
is a fantastic sounding album and everything sounds perfectly creepy
from start to finish. This is perhaps Holy Serpent’s best sounding
and most mature album to date. If you’re new to the world of Holy
Serpent then this album is the best place to start. If you’re a
long time fan of the band then you’re going to love it like I did.
Words
by Steve Howe
Thanks
to Dave at US/THEM PR for the promo. Endless will be available to buy
on CD/DD/Vinyl via RidingEasy Records from October 18th
2019.
Links:
