Review by Felix on January 28, 2025.

The Belgian black metal scene established itself with albums such as "The Diabolic Serenades" (Ancient Rites, 1994) and "Prophecies of Pagan Fire" (Enthroned, 1995). Slaughter Messiah contributed the best album so far ("Cursed to the Pyre", 2020), and now Serpents Oath show us their form of pure hatred for the third time. Revelation marks a mature, energetic and exciting high quality release, because it is a ravaging beast that spits fire constantly. Nevertheless, let's have a look at its little weaknesses at first.

Two things come to my mind. On the one hand, the band has not delivered a very autonomous album. Its material celebrates the form of black metal we have often received from Sweden. This means the album is filled to the max with dark melodics and elegant horror. A few tragic, quite soft sounds are also integrated. They bring the melancholic side of the band to light. All elements are performed with passion, so don't get me wrong; in terms of the quality level there is nothing to moan about. It just cannot be ignored that formations such as Thy Primordial or Myronath also walk(ed) this well trodden path. Not to mention the influential role models Dark Funeral and Dissection. But, as I said before, this is just a little weakness and nothing which should make you angry enough to hunt some Christians tonight. The second concern is no big deal as well. Just for the sake of completeness, it needs time until the songs reveal their own personality. This is not because of their very complicated contours. They just lie in very close proximity to each other. If you like the first regular track "Blood Covenant", you will love the entire album – but you don't know which song is currently playing. Rest assured, after five spins the fog begins to vanish into thin air and you start to see things clearly.

I guess you agree that these negative points do not cause a big pain in the ass and now that I can separate the tracks from each other, I know that "Beyond The Void" alone makes up for these little blemishes. This song is a demonstration of black metallic glory, power and fury. It marks the opener of the second and best third on this nearly soldierly designed album (invocation, three songs, invocation, three songs, invocation, three songs). Before "Pandemonium" (epic beginning, pitiless core) calls to the grand finale, especially "Path Of The Serpent" delivers a further destructive and homicidal portion of high-speed black metal. Its desperate yet powerful "Tiamat, Tiamat" shouts are the cherry on the cake, while the melodic introduction seems to be inspired by the songs of Necrophobic's Sebastian Ramstedt. By the way, this distant goddess called Tiamat is also invoked in "Unto Typhon" and the title "Gateways To Tiamat" speaks for itself. Obviously, this divine lady does not lack importance in the violent cosmos of Serpents Oath, who also border on Marduk in some utterly vehement moments – Sweden is omnipresent.

Revelation belongs to those releases where production and content benefit from each other. The songs are perfectly set in scene by the mighty mix and the forceful sound comes into its own due to the strong material. The technical implementation does not suffer from any amateurish mistakes. All songs profit from the clarity, the purity and the pressure of the wall of sound which does not need to fear any comparisons in the black metal scene. Okay, absolutely stubborn underground fetishists will see things differently, but I like this inferno which meets global standards with big ease. In conclusion, Serpents Oath third full-length proves the outstanding potential of five talented musicians whose zenith is maybe yet to come. Tiamat will watch them.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Dominik on November 11, 2024.

When I first listened to “Revelation”, three things immediately stood out. First, Serpents Oath has perfected the art of time travel. They somehow channeled the raw spirit of late 90s black metal through a modern lens. It’s as if they’ve discovered a wormhole between decades—or simply decided that time is an unnecessary concept when you’re dealing with the eternal darkness of black metal.

Second, it’s impossible to ignore how much the album pays homage to the Swedish school of black metal. “Revelation” proudly tips its hat to Marduk and Dark Funeral, with only two tracks (“Path of the Serpent” and “Pandaemonium”) daring to build any atmosphere before launching into that kind of all-out frenzy. The rest of the songs don’t even bother with longer foreplay—straight into the fire without so much as a “how do you do” and they don’t let up until the job of musical obliteration is complete.

Third, I’m relieved to report that the high standard set by their previous album holds firm here—if anything, Serpents Oath have upped the ante. There’s confidence in their sound, and the results are more than convincing. Which brings me to my premature conclusion from those early listens: I liked it then, and I like it even more now.

After spinning “Revelation” a few times, I’m pleased to say my initial thoughts weren’t just a fleeting illusion caused by the fumes of brimstone and cheap Belgian beer. This record doesn’t just hold up three months later—it feels like that cold, uninvited guest in your house who refuses to leave. And honestly, I don’t want it to. This album is a ferocious beast, and like most beasts, it isn’t out to win your affection through subtlety. It’s an unyielding tribute to Marduk’s “Nightwing”, “Panzer Division Marduk”, or early Dark Funeral. And for those born yesterday, there’s a hint of Ad Noctem Funeriis’s “Satan’s March Black Metal” to keep things feeling “modern”.

Let’s talk structure. “Revelation” is organized with a tight sense of purpose: three sets of three songs, punctuated by one intro and two short interludes. What’s refreshing is that Serpents Oath doesn’t blow all their evil energy in the first third—they’ve carefully spread the devastation across the entire album, meaning that by the time you think you’ve survived, another sonic blast flattens whatever’s left of you. But this approach ensures that there’s something worth your time in each section. It’s a deliberate, cohesive release, which never feels front-loaded, and just runs like a well-oiled war machine.

Of course, you can’t discuss “Revelation” without pointing out the heavy influence described above. The tremolo picking, the machine-gun drumming, and that vocalist who sounds like he gargles with crushed glass and heresy—these are all familiar elements. But is it a cheap knockoff? Hardly. Sure, the genre has a somehow limited toolkit, but Serpents Oath wields it with such precision that their sound at least feels in some way their own.

Is there anything on the flipside of the medal? Yes, the satanic imagery can get a little heavy-handed at times. It’s as though the band wants to make absolutely sure you understand just how evil they are, turning the intensity up to eleven in case the riffs didn’t scream “hellfire” loud enough or the mostly incessant blast beats didn't give it away. But instead of feeling forced, it’s more like they’re embracing the theatrics of black metal, throwing an extra goat or pentagram onto the fire, even when it’s already ablaze. Especially when you watch some of their videos, you get the impression that they might flirt with crossing into self-parody, but they always stop just short, maintaining the right balance between conviction and spectacle.

In my opinion “Path of the Serpent” and “Pandaemonium” are the standout tracks here. These two songs take a “sulfurous” breath, building some anticipation before plunging into the same sonic blitz as the others. These moments of “restraint” highlight the band’s ability to create tension and release, injecting just a hint of variety into an otherwise blistering performance. The songs aren’t wildly different from the rest, but they show Serpents Oath isn’t afraid to “experiment” (mind you, we're not talking progressiveness here!) within the boundaries of their unyielding sound.

Some might argue there’s not much in the way of musical evolution between this and their previous release, but here’s the thing: sometimes sticking to your guns (or in this case to your sacrificial daggers) is the best approach. Serpents Oath knows exactly who they are and what they’re about. And honestly, I’m here for it. There’s something to be said for a band that refines its craft without feeling the need to reinvent the wheel every time.

Rating: 8.4/10 – because sometimes you just need an album that doesn’t pretend to be anything other than a very good, anti-sunshine black metal barrage.

Review by TheOneNeverSeen on August 25, 2024.

The fall cometh meaning it’s time for some good solemn atmospheric black metal. While not a huge fan of it, I do appreciate a good album capable of submerging you into its lyric beauty. Tour d'Ivoire’s (literally "Ivory Tower") eponymous debut release may not be perfect, but is nonetheless a solid album that every fan of the genre is likely to appreciate. Despite its imperfections (which are not surprising considering it’s the band’s first full-length), it’s a must-listen for all grim forests and moonlight enjoyers, and the band – a worthy one of becoming a big name in the genre.

After a very Wolves in the Throne Room-like intro, the album immerses you in its most powerful track – 'La Tour'. The Dissection/Dark Funeral-like riff may be a little repetitive, but it conveys the atmosphere of gazing at the beautiful tower on the album’s cover through the spider-web of branches perfectly. The rest of the tracks elaborate on this atmosphere, almost allowing you to sense the scent of night due to their perfectly appropriate pace and the great guitar sound that is neither overly raw nor polished.

The album’s sound is consistently imperfect. The blast beats sound good, but the at times lonely cymbals are way too loud (especially on the first two tracks), intercepting the music’s flow. The vocals, while generally impressive, often sound quieter than necessary, unnecessarily focusing all the attention on the lead guitar and making the music somewhat languid. However, I will say that, for the band’s first effort, the album is pretty consistent in terms of the quality of riffs and melodies, if imperfect texture-wise. It is evident that the musicians are keen to make diverse music and whenever the album experiments, it almost feels more natural and bolder. For instance, the female vocals by the end of 'La Tour' reminiscent of Diadem of 12 Stars or the synth melodies by the end of 'Forteresse de Marbre' and 'Givre', while not reaching the atmosphere of 'Left Hand Path' or 'Time Is Black', add a lot to the introspective feeling of the album. I’d say the songs rely on repetition of the same riffs too much and benefit a lot from melody changes. The pensive atmosphere is preserved throughout the album, but I was pleasantly surprised by the Batushka-like riffs of 'Brouillard' and 'Givre' which one rarely hears in atmospheric black metal dominated by Lustre-like meditation or post-black metal sadness.

So, while not being a new classic or perfect technicality-wise, Tour d'Ivoire is undoubtedly a very good atmospheric black metal release and one of the most pleasing this year. A curious 35-minute retreat into the ivory tower of your thoughts.

Rating: 8 out of 10