Release Date: March 21st 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD/Vinyl
Psychic Pain - Tracklisting
1.Pulsate
2.Raw Wound
3.Drift Away
4.Psychic Pain
5.Cage
Members
Will Bassin
Adam Holbrook
Karter Rosner
Review
Doom/Sludge Metallers Serial Hawk return with their new album Psychic Pain which is their first new material in six years and they bring a strong undercurrent of Progressive themes and sounds to this record. Serial Hawk have taken ideas laid down on their last record Static Apnea and blended with a full-on Drone Metal appetite which takes a darker turn with the down-tuned grooves that have a subtle distorted energy pouring out from every angle.
Psychic Pain is more chaotic and full on Blackened Doom Metal fury especially with the vocals that sees a level of nightmarish sound developing within the first two tracks Pulsate and Raw Wound. With moments of Drone, Doom, Psych and Ambient Metal having a menacing purpose to them and thunderous sludgy grooves that channels bands such as ISIS, NEUROSIS, Cult Of Luna, CONAN and YOB. The Drone Metal themes feel like Serial Hawk have opted for a SUNN 0))) delivery with the violent Post-Metal instrumental melodies and dark textures that is quite daring which spills over throughout the album.
Despite all of the DOOM & GLOOM that Psychic Pain contains, It’s quite miraculous when Serial Hawk finds time to play a sudden shift in melodic grooves that can be quite therapeutic and uplifting with Raw Wound being a prime example of this. However, the aggressive rhythm section of Adam Holbrook on Bass and new recruit Karter Rosner on Drums always offer a primal and challenging style of music for Will Bassin to create harsh growls, clean vocals and first rate sludgy guitars.
Though, the band still return to a haunting style of Ambient Rock and Post-Rock within the opening few moments of the standout track Drift Away before unleashing a bone crunching style of Atmospheric Sludge that stays on the right side of emotionally charged music
Serial Hawk bring a sense of world weary Progressive Metal to their sound which becomes the main focus of Psychic Pain to the very start. The remaining tracks of Drift Away, Psychic Pain and Caged always remain grounded with a cautious Psychedelic attitude allowing the music to be quite realistic and emotionally charged. There’s a high amount of sonic experimentation and manipulation on the record which sees haunting voices and cinematic sounds being part of the overall journey that Serial Hawk takes the listener upon.
Psychic Pain is perhaps the best album that Serial Hawk have released to date as they create their own highly original blend of Atmospheric Sludge Metal that dares to be different at times and offers a bleak and uncompromising vision you’ll find very hard to beat. You can easily rank this as one of the best Post-Metal albums of the year even at this early stage of the game.
Words by Steve Howe
Links
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