Reviews

Ezra Brooks/Serpent Rider – Visions of Esoteric Splendor Review

October 21, 2021

This is the first time I ran into a split album with only one tittle. In general both bands name their parts, I mean, each band has its album tittle. Not this one. Bands decided that the split album should have only one tittle. The split “Visions of Esoteric Splendor” is four track to Ezra Brooks – hey, what a name, huh? Name a ban after a bourbon. Great idea. – and four tracks to Serpent Rider. Right in this order. Fun fact is that at the first time I was listening to the album I, of course, didn’t notice it was a split. Then everything changes with a nice female voice. Well, as you know my dear child of the night, sometimes bands split voices in albums, so I didn’t care for the change. Then came second track and the third and I asked myself is it right? For that reason I went to look up at the press release. Only then I noticed it was a aplit album. Please do not laugh at me, show of hands who’s never…

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