Label: Self released
Date: December 7th, 2020
From Belgrade, Serbia, comes a bit of an early injection of holiday spirit. Not! Though, counting the year we’ve had, was there a way to end it differently? I guess not.
The Father Of Serpents is a formation of seasoned musicians gathered around the idea of traditional doom metal. This, their second album, with a title befitting the timeframe in which it came into being, continues where “Age of Damnation” left off.
Of course, doom metal remains the goal for which these five guys strive. Speaking of traditional doom, one shouldn’t refer to the ancients. “Years Lost in Darkness” turns much more to the UK masters. My Dying Bride and such. Slightly grazed with some cold death metal-ish sound of Sentenced. Slightly, since the autumn, as depicted by this album, keeps the warm touch of summer, even if completely drenched in melancholy and the sense of beauty in decay. Contradictory a bit, but the record does hit the spot.
Further delving into the sound of “Years Lost in Darkness”, you will mostly be astonished by the attention to details. Considering The Father Of Serpents is not the most innovative band around, nor is it their intention, they are using the already known patterns to form tracks that can easily captivate the listener. And doing so by implementing certain parts by individual instruments that strike from behind, hidden from plain sight. Bass guitar, as certainly the biggest of these attributes, displays the power behind this, often underrated, instrument. Guitar melodies dominate throughout, regardless of what is going on around. On the other hand, violin plays a prominent part (yes, the connotations with the UK legends are obvious) from the mentioned background. Also, the album would be far less impressive had it not been for the drumming, which gives a significant impact to the arrangements’ diversity.
Still, after the change in the vocal department following the debut album, I must admit I was mostly afraid if the band will be able to provide a suitable replacement. Admittedly, the clean vocals are missing the strength displayed by the previous singer, but instead go along the overall atmospheric feel of the entire record. However, the growling is spot-on. Convincing and driving enough for an album that loses nothing of the energy of its predecessor, but gives a bit of a different vibe.
“Years Lost in Darkness” is a record that wins you over with its honest approach and dedication to the genre. While it certainly isn’t the Earth-shattering piece of doom metal mythos, it still is an overwhelming piece of music. Closing a grim year, The Father Of Serpents, in their own, gloomy way shows promise of a brighter one. At least when it comes to the driving force for many of you reading this while longing for the years lost in darkness. Music, of course.
