ALBUM REVIEW: Of Golden Verse – Sermon

If you somehow missed 2019’s Birth Of The Marvellous, the outstanding debut from enigmatic one-man (plus James Stewart of DECAPITATED fame) project SERMON, do yourself a favour and make the effort to go back in time and listen to it. A creeping, atmospheric bit of brilliance that defies its debut tag, it set the bar so immediately high that even the band themselves vanished just one live show after they released it.

While the enigmatic antics of frontperson Him give SERMON that inscrutable air of mystery, there’s a distinct tangibility to the tonal path that their sophomore effort Of Golden Verse takes. While Birth Of The Marvellous was a rough, brooding heavyweight, Of Golden Verse is a more meticulously bred beast with a focus on power and aggression that builds on the dark framework rather than replacing it. Take second single The Distance, which prowls menacingly on the border of action before flicking the switch and taking hold of the scruff of your neck, as the most dynamic display of exactly how this entire album operates.

The growth from their debut goes beyond maturity in songwriting and technical ability – not that anyone involved here wants for either of those. There’s more versatility here than their debut, be it the dark hookiness that Golden brings to the table or the numerous and rather lovely interludes that act as slow-burn foil to crushing body blow Royal, or the sheer face-smashing force of notable highlight Wake The Silent. While at times Birth Of The Marvellous felt like one long introduction with little payoff, Of Golden Verse kicks into the next gear with fits of snarling anger that feel like natural progression to the simmering rage.

But there is still plenty of time for prog-metal style grandiosity in between the outbursts. Senescence is a simply stunning affair, wave after wave of enchanting melodies and strings spiralling into a finale that showcases the uniquely powerful vocals of Him, all while the backing noise pounds and probes at the edges of breaking out but managing to stay restrained. It feels like the song is fighting with itself on which direction it wants to go and manages to do both simultaneously, in a terrific achievement for both the song and SERMON themselves for how well it works.

A special mention goes to the previously mentioned Stewart for his contributions as the back half of the horse; his drum work is absolutely sensational and a huge part of what makes this album pop. Whether he’s creating moody atmosphere, drubbing complex polyrhythms or simply double kicking the living daylights out of his kit on passionate closer Departure, he nails everything he puts his sticks to here and then some.

If Birth Of The Marvellous portrayed SERMON as a slumbering juggernaut, then Of Golden Verse has awakened the titan, a roaring behemoth that flattens everything in its path. A powerhouse of sheer performance and notable development from top to bottom, the group have turned up every single dial and snapped some of them clean off the machine with aggressive, compelling and at times beautiful ear medicine. As far as modern prog-metal goes, this is going to be very hard to top for some time, let alone this year. A must listen.

Rating: 10/10

Of Golden Verse is out now via Prosthetic Records.

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