
SHRIKE – The Divine and the Serpentine
- by J.N.
- Posted on 22-01-2025
BAND URL: https://linktr.ee/officialshrike
Shrike, who hail from the city of Preston in the UK, turned out to be a bit of a musical curve ball in the positive sense of the word. An intense listen in so many ways, this richly textured long-player of theirs defies any attempt at pigeonholing and can perhaps best be summed up as progressive in nature as it weaves traits and characteristics from melodic death metal, metalcore, prog metal, and neck-snapping neo-thrash together to great effect. Cinematic and sweeping one minute only to take a sharp turn and serve up a crushing and infinitely heavy riff capable of moving a mountain, these chaps sure know how to vary their epic compositions and keep the listener on their toes as you never quite know what to expect. I am mightily impressed with this debut effort in that it balances so many contrasting forces and feelings without losing the plot, and the emotive vocals emphasize the fact that the songs are primarily about atmosphere and packing a heartfelt punch as opposed to complexity and clever arrangements (although there are plenty of the letter in case you were wondering). Fierce and furious meet melodic and intricate and there is absolutely no reason why The Divine and the Serpentine should not make a lasting impact on the metal community. Adventurous and forward-thinking stuff that feels invigorating and could easily appeal to fans of Trivium, The Black Dahlia Murder, and Darkest Hour. The standout moments include “The Sinner in Saint’s Regalia” and “Father Time.”