Both bands have lots of similarities. First of all which catches the attention of the fan, I mean, me is the lo-fi production of the album. The album sounds as if it were recorded in the 1980s. I mean the sonancy of the guitars are that kind of opaque of lo-fi productions. The same for their tones. Both bands. In fact, it’s impossible to reason if nowadays with so much music technology at the band’s dispose it’s even possible to record like that. Instrumentals in Serpent Rider are much lower than vocals, regarding to Ezra Brooks both are pretty low. Both bands play Old School Heavy Metal from the 1980s and that’s remarkable. Due to the vocals Serpent Rider sound a little more modern, but not modern enough to be a Symphonic band or other. I have to say that it was exactly these features that caught my eyes. The first chords of Ezra Brooks reminded me those obscure bands I used to love from the 1980s, in especial 1987’s Viper’s ‘Soldiers of Sunrise” the remarkable debut album which music talked louder than production, if you know what I mean. Guitar tones though opaque and low got me. The way the band performed their songs as well. Serpent Rider have a female vocalist so as my dear fan knows it counts a lot for me. Guitar tones there caught my eyes too as well as the songwriting which sounds pretty epic. So does the band.
Ok, a split album that deserves the fan’s glimpse. Two bands with lots of energy and heart.
Ezra Brooks/Serpent Rider “Visions of Esoteric Splendor” will be released on October 22nd via No Remorse Records.
Track Listing:
First Vision: Ezra Brooks
i. The Helm of Sacorb
ii. Am I Just Paranoid?
iii. When the Future Fails
iv. Legions
Second Vision: Serpent Rider
v. The Mask of the Wolf
vi. Echidna
vii. The Wretch
viii. Flowers of My Youth
Watch Ezra Brooks “When the Future Fails” official lyric video and Serpent Rider “The Wretch” official lyric video here:
I’m just a lucky guy who has chosen metal to live with for a long time. Metal changed my life for good. It made me more confident and stronger. Metalheads are naturally far away from the mass mediocrity and don’t accept impostures from anybody else. Metal is more than music, it’s a life changing oportunity!