Serpent Ascending announced that their debut album Aṇaṅku is going to be released by I, Voidhanger Records on September 16th. Serpent Ascending is the solo-project of Desecresy vocalist Jarno Nurmi and previously released two extremely promising demos, Serrpent Ascending and The Mournful Pilgrimage, that were compiled with one new track in The Enigma Unsettled anthology CD. From the label’s press release:
Once in the ranks of the Finnish cult death metal acts Slugathor and Nerlich, over the years Jarno Nurmi has always taken a low profile. Many know him for being half of the Desecresy’s line-up and a live member of Cosmic Church, but Nurmi is also active with SERPENT ASCENDING, the torchbearer of his peculiar death metal vision and occult concept. Nurmi gave birth to SERPENT ASCENDING in 2008, debuting 3 years later on I, Voidhanger Records with “The Enigma Unsettled,” a collection of demos that drew attention to the band’s traditional yet unconventional style.
SERPENT ASCENDING’s first full-length album, “Aṇaṅku” is even more awe-inspiring. Rooted in the glorious old days of satanic death metal, it’s not imprisoned in stale clichés and doesn’t fall victim of abused canons. On the contrary, the album finds an original expressing way by weaving cavernous sounds and hallucinatory melodies together. Nurmi’s profound growls and twisted choirs contribute to the ritualistic atmosphere that permeates the tracks, where hazy guitars grimly hover over a primitive drumming that provides an incessant, hypnotic thrust. The songs are short and to the point, but their apparent simplicity hides a very effective work on arrangements and instrumental dialogues; so much that each track looks like a sonic sigil, a true act of magick perfectly crafted and executed.
“Aṇaṅku” is a mesmerizing slab of death metal, fascinatingly shrouded in mystery and occultism. Hidden in the dark for years, it’s now time for SERPENT ASCENDING to show its pronged tongue once again, and to fill our chalices with venom.
TRACKLIST:
1. Entrance (4:03)
2. Rivers Of Lava (2:54)
3. Northern Delirium (2:17)
4. Karelides (3:42)
5. Aṇaṅku I (4:22)
6. Aṇaṅku II (3:20)
7. Mound Of Ing (4:36)
8. Male Atavism (4:55)Total time 30:09
Music & Lyrics by Jarno Nurmi
Recorded by Tommi Grönqvist & Jarno Nurmi
Mastered by Patrick W. Engel at Temple Of DisharmonyCover art by Veera Pitkänen (official)
Logo and design by Francesco Gemelli
Tags: ananku, Aṇaṅku, Black Metal, compact disc, death metal, Finland, i voidhanger records, Jarno Nurmi, Serpent Ascending, Speed Metal, upcoming release
I thought The Enigma Unsettled was overlooked and great, let’s keep it overlooked, if the new album is good don’t tell anyone.
This is the best news I’ve heard all week. The recursive structures of the songs on The Enigma Unsettled maintain a cyclical atmosphere that makes it a perfect album for a quiet evening of introspection.
Yes, The Enigma Unsettled is quite excellent. Apparently this new album will be released on my birthday. Hopefully it will help make my birthday the satanic blood-orgy I sorely need.
http://www.nocleansinging.com/2016/08/05/an-ncs-premiere-serpent-ascending-entrance/
I wasn’t expecting a sample so soon, let alone that it would be so blistering. I’m still treating my infernal burn wounds. It will be interesting to see how the composition of the entire album flows, as this is his first full-length, and there is a bit of a disconnect between the two demos on The Enigma Unsettled.
EDITED: “I am a cheap pirate who is unwilling to forgo a six pack of beer to hear The Enigma Unsettled in decent quality.”
Click the Bandcamp link then and fork over some dough.
Amusing but false!
I prefer to download and listen, then decide whether to buy or not(depending on availability). If DMU is against “pirating” why is the forum carrying hundreds of links to free album downloads?
The forum is unmoderated and those will eventually disappear. If you like the Bandcamp streams buy the record; MP3s are terrible.
Ha! That is a convenient thing for you to say…
MP3 sharing is the way to go. It’s how you found out about all the bands you love today, it’s the reason you have stacks of their cd’s.
The reason I have stacks of their CDs is as I bought them. MP3s always sounded like shit and were always for losers with earbuds like you.
Oh my goodness you are a testy little bugger!
A couple of things:
– Bandcamp is pro-censorship so fuck those guys right off the bat.
– Streaming is not an option when your hiking in the woods or driving your car
I could stream that fucker all day long 24/7 without “paying” what’s the difference if I want to download it and press the play button when I feel like? EVEN IF I am in a wifi hotspot or in my house..
Daniel, your a pissy little cunt, editing such an innocuous post shows how easily triggered you must be.
So fucking buy it.
What was your innocuous post? The difference is that Jarno Nurmi is rewarded for his creation and encouraged to continue creating, where otherwise he is not.
1. Stream 2. Judge 3. Purchase (or not)
You can listen to it online and decide… that’s why bandcamp exists in the first place.
This is good news. Anybody actually listen to Cosmic Church?
I had an album of theirs downloaded (Arcana Dei, I think) but got rid of it because the melodies were just sappy enough to be distracting. Not sure if the guy was trying too hard or if I’m just too much of a badass for that kind of music.
I enjoy some of the more recent music by em.