Cleric - Serpent Psalms

CLERIC - Serpent Psalms (RAW SKULL Records / REDEFINING DARKNESS - CD 2019=

Another killer death metal album here, and this time from a band, which was completely unknown to me. They did release one more album back in 2013, but I doubt many people know it. I've never even heard their name before. But this new onslaught called "Serpent Psalms" released under the flag of Raw Skull Records and Redefining Darkness Records will certainly catch more attention. It did catch mine and I have to say that it was a great sadistic pleasure to see the massacre it caused to my ears.  

Of corpse it's again the fuckin old school death metal, where the traditional means are met with more updated, powerful and crushing production. Every sound, every instrument has a great, vicious and neckbreaking strength - that's why the music fills me with such a lethal energy. Guitar have quite similar to HM2 tone, but musically Cleric delivers more diverse and interesting combination of death metal styles, instead of focusing on just one. They throw in your face their fascination with some of the best classic bands - from Bolt Thrower, Asphyx, Grave, Entombed, Incantation, Dismember or whatever else you wish. Just cult, classic stuff exclusively. Riffs are super awesome, like the doom opening part of “All Death Unseeing”, which really gave me a goose-skin. Every song bursts out with some super amazing riffs, great memorable parts and aggression. It's brutal, nasty, dark, cadaverous, savage stuff – just as it should be. Cleric guys have great skill for playing this sort of music and the arrangements they came up with are perfect. Songs sound fresh, energetic and passionate – and never bored me. Tempo wise it also provides everything well balanced, so the music is dynamic and full of adrenaline. It all kicks off with powerful “Maw of Absolution” and doesn’t let go until the very last second. 

I love that style of death metal, you know? I've been a death metal fan for nearly 30 years, I never had enough of it... And I am glad that now I can still find albums, which kick me in the stomach so strongly and deliver the vicious, barbaric feel. "Serpent Psalms" surely belongs to the best discoveries of past months, so I really recommend this album to you all. I’m looking forward for a vinyl version one day, it deserves this format for sure. 

Standout tracks: “All Death Unseeing”, “Destroying Eye of the Self”, “Maw of Absolution” 

Verdict: 85/100