THE RISE OF THE SERPENT MEN
AXEGRINDER
(1988)
A1: NEVER ENDING WINTER (2:32); A2: HELLSTORM (5:38); A3: LIFE CHAIN (4:22); A4: WAR MACHINE (6:05).
B1: EVILUTION (5:30); B2: RISE OF THE SERPENT MEN (6:41); B3: THE FINAL WAR (5:41).
CATEGORY: ANARCHO-METAL | DURATION: 37 MINUTES
A powerful conclusion to the evolution of English anarcho-punk into the super-heavy realm of metal mayhem, Axegrinder’s Rise Of The Serpent Men retains its political (anti-war) message but delivers it with a massive wall of filth-encrusted noise, leavened throughout by melodic passages which allow for dramatic volume shifts and crushing climaxes. The album’s horrific artwork was crafted by Jeff Walker from Carcass, a band whose own progression from grindcore to churning deathly metal was already underway, to be
matched only by the death-infused war-grind of Bolt Thrower. Less celebrated than those bands’ classic releases but equally momentous, Rise Of The Serpent Men may be regarded as the first entry in extreme English metal’s quintessential unholy triad. Many American “metalcore” bands of the early to mid-90s would sound like this, but Axegrinder did it first.
THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF ROBERT YOUNG (1964-2014)
“ÆTERNUM VORTICE LACRIMARUM SOMNIAT”