ALBUM REVIEW: Serpent Gods And A Dying Sun – Daemon Pyre
In today’s music climate, establishing a band as a viable and lengthy career choice is incredibly brutal. If we can ignore the massive elephant in the room that is the COVID-19 pandemic just for a moment, bands were already finding it increasingly difficult to survive in a climate where artistic merit doesn’t necessarily yield financial reward. Such is the case of DAEMON PYRE. Despite achieving local recognition in their homeland of Australia and a well-received debut, 2015’s self-titled effort, it wasn’t to be for the band. Three years have passed since it looked that the band was over, and whilst to a degree they still are, Serpent Gods And A Dying Sun is here to give DAEMON PYRE one final hurrah. But is this the swansong the Aussies are hoping for or do they go into the night not with a bang but a whimper?
Well, as it turns out, it’s the former. Serpent Gods And A Dying Sun is a no-holds-barred barrage of wicked melodic death metal, one in which the band ensure that their collective last breaths are ones of triumph. Red Sun Phenomenon kicks off the record in fine fashion as the twin guitar play from Andrew Lilley and Simon Tattam ebbs and flows in fine fashion, keeping you on your toes, and there’s enough guitar trickery to prick the ears of the avid progressive metal fan. Similarly, Sam Rilatt‘s lead vocals cut through the music like a hot knife through butter, dancing eloquently in the mix to sound clear and concise. It’s a solid start to the record and sets DAEMON PYRE‘s final offering off in the best possible manner.
From there, there are genuine moments of brilliance across Serpent Gods And A Dying Sun, which ram home the thought of why this band didn’t quite get the attention they deserve. Enslaved God Scenario‘s intricate riffing and speedy tempo helps inject a bout of adrenaline and showcases what the band can do when the work through the gears, Eternal Sky boasts some of the best melodic leadwork on the record and it flows brilliantly into The Dying Spark, making for a neat one-two punch at the album’s halfway point. It is in fact these moments that showcase what a gem DAEMON PYRE were within the scene and makes it all the more gutting when the realisation that there will be no new music or live performances to come.
And yet, for all that DAEMON PYRE do right on the record, there are moments where the band’s blend of melodic death metal don’t quite hit the target. Despite Hopeless One boasting some monstrously heavy moments and gorgeous melodic instrumentation, the track feels hashed together, a yin-yang approach if you will, and it doesn’t connect as well as it probably should. Similarly, Northern Light has little to offer, especially when it proceeds the stellar The Serpent And The Master. Fortunately though, these wobbly moments are only sporadic, and don’t have enough force to derail the overall momentum of the album.
Serpent Gods And A Dying Sun intends to stand as DAEMON PYRE‘s swansong and for the most part, the album certainly presents itself as a soaring crescendo for a band that never quite had their place in the sun. Whilst there are moments that don’t quite connect as well as they should, there is enough quality on offer to ensure that DAEMON PYRE go out with a bang rather than a whimper.
Rating: 7/10
Serpent Gods And A Dying Sun is out now via self release.
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