Release Date: November 06th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
White Sands - Tracklist
1.Mirage
2.Pretending
3.White Sands
4.Abandoned Memory
5.Floating In
Members
Will Bassin, Adam Holbrook and Karter Rosner
Review
White Sands is the fourth full length album from Doom/Sludge Metallers Serial Hawk which is a calmer experience compared to their 2025 album Psychic Pain. This does have massive amounts of Sludge/Post-Metal energy and aggression but it’s told through a sense of Shoegaze, Post-Doom and Post-Rock qualities. Serial Hawk are perhaps channeling the likes of YOB and ISIS even within the uplifting cycles that the band bring to the table.
Opening song Mirage offers over ten minutes of Ambient Post-Metal with Serial Hawk creating meditative movements that can be heard and experienced for every part of the song. With moody lyrics and refreshing vocals that has a certain Doomgaze / Shoegaze posture from start to finish. The echoes of Post-Rock always flirt with Psychedelic heaviness but Serial Hawk adds levels of Prog Rock/Metal prosperity before it slowly fades out into the darkness.
Second song Pretending is another epic song with Serial Hawk exploring that new found meditative momentum with eerie vocals lurking in the background. The slow-to-mid paced Post-Rock melodies always hint that something darker and heavier is on it’s way which Serial Hawk fully commit themselves to within the middle section of the track. The first section allows those subtle Ambient and Cinematic themes to allow sudden Atmospheric Sludge sounds to try for complete domination.
The vocals fade in and out of existence with that thrilling “LESS IS MORE” way of musical delivery being deliberately slow-paced. The song is one of those great examples where it’s destructively heavy whilst also being quite restrained at the same time. You begin to notice how Serial Hawk adds small instances of what made their last album Psychic Pain such a standout but White sands always allows the uplifting Post-Doom and Post-Metal surroundings to fully remain in complete creative control.
Third track White Sands has an optimistic Post-Stoner Rock delivery which reminds me of ELDER and KING BUFFALO at first with the Post-Rock explorations being quite euphoric once more. Though, the music still has that unexpected level of Post-Metal urgency emitting from the speakers. This song allows Serial Hawk to develop and play sounds they perhaps became known for when they first started out. The Drone / Sludge Rock elements offer a thrilling backdrop of distorted environments which are quite grounded and superbly riff orientated.
The final two tracks Abandoned Memory and Floating In allows Serial Hawk to perfectly move around the Post-Rock and Post-Metal landscapes with distinctive flavours of Ambient Metal, Sludge Rock and Post-Doom being created, broken down and rebuilt from the ground up with superbly played vocals reminding me of Trent Reznor and Aaron Turner along the way. There are chilling instrumental passages which remind beautifully authentic to the absolute core of what Serial Hawk achieved with White Sands.
Serial Hawk feel at the height of their creative abilities with White Sands and perhaps with their last album Psychic Pain. I’m hoping they continue to explore this type of music for some time to come. However, I also adore their heavier and violent energy they created on Psychic Pain but it’s always good to know that Serial Pain always have options to tease, entice and reward their fanbase with.
White Sands is an emotionally charged and beautifully heartfelt record that deserves your undivided attention.
Words by Steve Howe
Links
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