EP Review: Serpent Moon – Meditations on Blood and Semen (Self Released)

Serpent Moon is a depressive/suicidal black metal project from Upstate New York. Meditations on Blood and Semen is a foray into the world of noisy dark ambient atmospheres and symphonic composition. It is part of a multimedia art project that will consist of:

10″ Meditations on Blood and Semen lathe cut, limited to 5 numbered and signed sets housed in burlap sack. Each record features 1 or 5 unique pieces of writing on insert, extended Meditations EP compact disc in uniquely weathered sleeve and 1ml each/vials blood & semen housed in burlap bag.

Meditations on Blood and Semen will be released on April 26th, 2022.

Let’s get this out of the way, straight away. Depressive/suicidal black metal is not for everyone. It has a very niche following and the quality of what is produced varies wildly. Music like this is more of an all-encompassing experience than anything else. Often music designed to challenge, which is exactly what Serpent Moon goes for.

Meditations On Blood and Semen is two tracks long, both around 9-minutes long. First up is Like A Widow Hates the Sea and it is a spectacular journey into the unknown as fuzzy and distorted ambiance rings out. This continues to get darker and colder for a couple of minutes before subtle symphonic touches start to sneak in. A building level of discomfort, a sense of confusion and the underlying threat of bedlam makes the latter half of this track very special indeed.

You might not understand what you just heard but chances are, you’ll be enthralled.

Which continues into This, My Penance. Where Serpent Moon deliver some really emotive melodies that really sell the ‘depressive’ element the band is trying to sell. Bloody beautiful sounding though, the symphonic elements working in tandem with the dirty distortion. A phenomenal track.

Two excellent tracks that challenge perceptions of depressive black metal. The experience is one well worth having.

Serpent Moon – Meditations on Blood and Semen Full Track Listing:

1. Like A Widow Hates the Sea
2. This, My Penance

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