Thy Serpent

Christcrusher (Nuclear Blast)
by Paul Lee

If you can ignore the goofy and not-very-blasphemous title of Thy Serpent‘s latest, Christcrusher, you’ll appreciate the mostly non-Satanic lyrics and imagery they put forth. Thy Serpent’s underlying intelligence and creativity are misrepresented by a bad title and lame stock photograph CD cover. In reality, these Fins create some wickedly atmospheric and skillful black metal that rivals their contemporaries in Sweden and Norway. Thy Serpent are in a difficult spot since they’re going to be compared to Norwegian neighbors like the more famous Emperor and Dimmu Borgir. Well, dear metal enthusiast, search beyond these comparisons and take a listen to this trio (and sometimes quartet) from Finland. They have classically-influenced, complex melodies that sweep through their songs, like the gorgeous “Thou Bade Nothingness.” And I’ll be damned if I didn’t hear a synth on the first track, “Chambers of the Starwatcher,” that sounds like it came from the Marillion song, “Script For A Jester’s Tear!” Take a listen to the baritone intro to “So Free Are The Wolves” which mixes well with Azhemin’s somewhat-subtle screeching.

In the past couple of years, I’ve heard rave reviews of Thy Serpent’s black metal prowess and their first full-length, The Forests of Witchery. After spinning Christcrusher a few times, I now believe the hype. If you’re a black metal addict like myself, you’ll welcome Thy Serpent into your collection.
(2323 W. El Segundo Blvd. Hawthorne, CA 90250)