Serpentine Dominion is a new project
featuring an incredibly unlikely trio of metal stars: Corpsegrinder (Cannibal
Corpse), Adam Dutkiewicz (Killswitch Engage), and Shannon Lucas (The Black
Dahlia Murder). On the surface, it’s a tough sell for those of us who don’t
like metalcore, but this album leans much more towards the death metal side of
things. A lot of these metalcore characters are actually huge fans of more classic
styles of metal, and Adam’s songwriting makes that very clear. “Serpentine
Dominion” is largely a death metal record, with the occasional nod to
metalcore. In fact, it’s impressive how well the band has captured Cannibal
Corpse’s sound at times, and that isn’t just because Corpsegrinder is singing.
A lot of the chugging riffing is reminiscent of more modern Cannibal Corpse,
but even the chaotic, wild soloing is comparable. There are also some moments
that conjure a creepier atmosphere, similar to what Cannibal Corpse did on
tracks like “Followed Home Then Killed” (“Divide, Conquer, Burn, and Destroy”,
and “Sovereign Hate” come to mind).
The caveat is that there are a few songs
with melodic metalcore singing. They by no means dominate any particular track
(and some songs are devoid of them completely), but they’re definitely there.
To his credit, Adam is probably a better singer than most vocalists in the
style, as he avoids sounding overly whiny. Additionally, his vocals are
typically overlaid with Corpsegrinder’s growls, so it isn’t as though they’re
the main focus of the music. The only other complaint that could be laid upon
this album is that it is very one-dimensional. Aside from the clean vocal
sections, the album either has a constant chugging pace, or a jackhammering
one. Both are good, but the result is that much of the album sounds identical.
The only reason this isn’t overly problematic is because the record runs for
less than 27 minutes, and that includes a combined 4 minutes for the
appropriately titled “Intro” and “Prelude”. This means that even if things do
get a little repetitive, it really isn’t enough to ruin the album.
The only element that hasn’t been covered
yet is the drumming of Shannon Lucas. Unsurprisingly, he is beyond competent.
One of the major complaints about Cannibal Corpse’s music was always Paul’s
more simplistic drumming, and while he has actually stepped up his game on recent
records, “Serpentine Dominion” is likely what Cannibal Corpse would sound like
with a Steve Asheim-type drummer. There is plenty of blasting, and almost
mechanical precision. The album has plenty of variety from a drum perspective, so it isn’t just
non-stop blast beats.
“Serpentine Dominion” could have been a
disaster, but the end result is very satisfying for fans of death metal. You
have to respect a band that combined two almost polar opposite styles (at least
in terms of fanbase) and made it work. The metalcore aspects of this release
obviously aren’t the best part, but they do make the record distinct from the
hundreds of faceless death metal albums that come out, and they’re executed far
better than one would probably expect. For these reasons, “Serpentine Dominion”
is a worthy purchase!
Be sure to check out and like Serpentine Dominion on Facebook!
Highlights
"The Vengeance In Me"
"Divide, Conquer, Burn, and Destroy"
"Jagged Cross Legions"
Final Rating
4.1/5 or 82%.
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