The anonymous one-man progressive metal act Sermon has been around creating transgressive sounds since 2014. Sermon’s music mainly revolves around progressive metal, and it might be a perfect fit for enthusiasts of bands like Tool, Opeth, Porcupine Tree, and Katatonia. The music that Sermon plays appears to have dark and heavy nuances while keeping it aggressive and immaculate at the same time.
After four years of being absent from releasing full-lengths with the latest one being the debut album Birth of the Marvellous, now Sermon is back on track again with a sophomore full-length entitled Of Golden Verse (Prosthetic Records), which was recorded at the UK-based Grindstone Studios under the supervision of Scott Atkins, who has previously worked with various legendary names such as Amon Amarth, Cradle of Filth, and Behemoth.
Besides having strong characteristics of progressive metal, they also incorporate melodic doom tendencies. Key figure Him and his collaborators now present a deeper, darker, and more emotionally demanding wave of sounds that induces the beaming of iridescent musical light. Despite barely ever playing live shows except for that one time at Prog in Park in Poland, Sermon manages to offer the purest form of intense and dynamic progressive metal while keeping their mysterious persona intact.
The formation of Sermon was dedicated to preaching the concept of spiritual and theological balance; they aim to craft a thoughtful intersection of all beliefs. In the midst of a world surrounded by polemics, mob mentality, divisive opinions, and reckless faith, it is certainly important to find a balanced focal point that embraces all existing beliefs equally. Still revolving around similar themes regarding the atrocities surrounding the world, the concept of the whole Of Golden Verse album speaks of abuse of power and how there exist various interpretations of it; packed up in a myriad of analogies.
Speaking of sonic elements, Of Golden Verse tends to be more guitar-orientated and more technical on the drums. There are tracks that appear to be dismay-inducing bombasts such as ‘Royal’, ‘Senescence’ and ‘Departure’, while the first single ‘Golden’ is a melancholy-laden melodic prog track that showcases how the band’s sonic vision has expanded throughout the years. Almost political, ‘Golden’ is a song that tells the tale of a reign weighing down on those under the so-called hierarchy. There are also songs that tend to be heavier in sounds such as ‘Light the Witch’ and ‘Wake the Silent’ – building up a harsh tension.
Of Golden Verse is overall a well-crafted and intensely profound album. It’s always interesting to keep up with the ever-progressing sonic visions of Sermon’s, presenting the best of prog metal and melodic doom.
Buy the album here:
8 / 10
RALKA SKJERSETH