Normally, it tends to be that a band will go even further into a given style as it finds itself deeper entwined with what the sound has to offer, what it stands for, and all it can be. So, when we see an act make a pretty distinct shift in its approach, it can be quite jarring but a sight to behold in all regards with there being a clear possibility of disappointment in play. When I first heard Serpent Ascending a few years ago, I have to be honest and say that I never once expected the band’s blackened death metal sound to really stray from that path with the simple passage of time. In just six years though, a transition has been made that I could not have predicted whatsoever.

At the core of it all, there’s no way for me to deny that Serpent Ascending is still very much a death metal band, but there is clearly something else being thrown into the pot for this release by the time it was fully cooked and out of the oven. It’s quite a remarkable shift to me with Serpent Ascending taking what feels like a vastly different approach to “Hyperborean Folklore” as it seems to have swapped out the black metal elements with that of heavy metal origin alongside Nordic folk influences that really make for a hell of a shift in both tone and theme. In the wrong hands, it could easily make for a jarring and unsatisfying listen, but the hands of Serpent Ascending are anything but the wrong ones. The influence that helped bring about “Hyperborean Folklore” should be clear to everyone just from the very name of the album, and it’s even after spending hours in this transition for Serpent Ascending that I honestly hope that I can hear more from this act whether or not they continue this sound in the future for it’s clear that the act can handle such a shift. It’s all brought together tremendously well as you can feel the aspects of Northern mysticism in every part of these four tracks whether it comes in the form of something that can be considered more in line with death metal or something that feels like it’s channeling the Nordic influences, and there’s no way that I could look at this creation nor the shift made in order to bring it to life and feel as though Serpent Ascending has failed in any way with all that “Hyperborean Folklore” is.

Plenty of bands out there make some sort of shift in their time just because that’s how it happens even if it’s a subconscious, unintended change, but Serpent Ascending shows us here how it can be done in a somewhat dramatic fashion while still keeping it all tasteful, relevant, and undeniably enthralling. There’s so much to dive into with all that’s brought forth within “Hyperborean Folklore”, and I can’t help but feel like this isn’t the last surprise we’re to see from Serpent Ascending in due time.

“Hyperborean Folklore” releases on June 17th via I, Voidhanger Records!

LISTEN to advanced tracks from “Hyperborean Folklore” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Serpent Ascending on Facebook here.