SERMON
Of Golden Verse
Prosthetic Records
Enigmatic one-manish U.K. outfit SERMON set the bar pretty high with its post-metally debut Birth Of The Marvellous from 2019, a stirring, expansive affair punctuated by jarring fits of heaviness and tempered by progressive meanderings. But the band, such as it is – bemasked mainman “Him” performs all of the vocals and instruments, save for the drums which are played by DECAPITATED’s James Stewart – didn’t get much chance to build off the acclaim the album received once Covid shut down the planet.
Four years – and but one live show - later, SERMON has returned with the same small team, which includes producer Scott Atkins (who has worked extensively with the varied likes CRADLE OF FILTH, GAMA BOMB, ELVENKING and VENOM PRISON),to show the debut was no fluke and to build on its considerable strengths. It accomplishes both in spades.
Of Golden Verse brings with it a more prominent prog-metal sprawl and adds greater emphasis on the “metal” half of the equation to boot, which combine to work nicely in its favor. Three short mood pieces/intros/segues – call them what you will – give Of Golden Verse the feel of a concept album.And regardless of whether it actually is, they do add a cinematic dimension by seemingly tying the narrative together and building toward the promise of agrand finale, which SERMON certainly delivers.
The seven-minute closer “Departure” launches with Stewart sustaining a blastbeat for a good minute-plus, returning to it for the choruses, and wrapping things up in a stampede of double-bass rolls and flailing fills – kind of like the equivalent of running a mile at a dead sprint. But it makes for an exhilarating, if exhausting, climax, especially when combined with Him’s frantic, almost black metally riffing and soaring vocals.
The rest of Of Golden Verse is just as exhilarating, incorporating elements that echo the early days of TOOL, with a hint of QUICKSAND, a liberal splash of GOJIRA-like wallop and some Scandinavian style melancholia to finish things off. The invocation-like, minute-long “The Great Marsh” gets things started and sets a dramatic mood as it leads into the industrial/tribal thrum and crashing swells of “Royal” and “Light The Witch”. Both boast resounding choruses topped by Him’s emphatic wail, which is both inviting and chilling as he exhorts “set them ablaze!” during “Witch”.
His vocals, from sinister spoken word and chants to towering cleans, are strikingly similar in tone and texture to those of TOOL’s Maynard James Keenan. But as with Keenan, that allows Him to ably capture the constantly shifting moods of the music, which here maintains some semblance of verse-chorus-verse construction, as opposed to TOOL’s jammy flights of fancy. Him’s delivery is powerful enough to resonate above the din when things are at their heaviest, yet honestly capture the sensitivity of delicate moments like the Stranger Things/X-Files-like opening to “Golden”, the ZEPPELIN-esque electric piano passages ofthe ethereal epic “Senescence” or the slow-build electronic throb of “The Distance”.
Just as key here is Stewart’s impeccable drumming. While known for his work with far more extreme bands, from VADER and BERZERKER LEGION to the delightful ANAL STENCH, he brings both genuine feel and soul to the rhythmic backbone, in addition to the rivet-gun aggression and remarkable dexterity you’d expect.He expertly steers themusic through its many twists and turns, allowing it to unfold and envelop – or, as with the furious “Departure” and the hulking turbulence of “Wake The Silent”, rip and tear.
Atkins smooths some of the debut’s rougher edges with his production here, making for a presentation that is modestly more lush, spacious and perhaps welcoming. But a warmer sound does not come at the expense of heft and certainly doesn’t temper the explosivity noted just above or in the booming grooves of “Golden”.
Of Golden Verse may take a few listens to fully grasp, but it is an album that gets better with every listen as its true depth reveals itself. It is packed with memorable moments, great songs and the perfect balance of intensity, dynamism and charisma. I can’t stop listening to it.
4.5 Out Of 5.0
