In the Company of Serpents: "Ain-Soph Aur"

This is not my first time checking this band out though it is the first time that have graced our blog here.   They have returned with doom tinged sludge to hammer you with in a manner that still has melody and attention to detail in the song writing. Judging from the opening track perhaps even more so than what we have heard from them previously. After repeat listens it's clear these guys are taking it to the next level.  There is a more fluid momentum that engages you with the vocals not just limiting themselves to the typical sludge bellow as they start of sung in more of a  throaty yet hushed baritone similar to what Neurosis uses at times. The lower roar does not wait to long to chime in. The riffs wind around the drums in an angular groove that is sinewy and forward thinking. Not only the first song cover a wide range of dynamics but this is the tone of the album as a whole going from a more oppressive doom sound to the band finding themselves  in more of a blue boogie groove by the time we get to the last song.

We begin to seem them break away from the obvious metal direction on the more Nick Cave like "Crucible" which sounds like something from the Twin Peaks soundtrack. The raspy croon of the vocals is a wink towards Scott Kelly for sure. it does build into a more gloomy form of sludge. "Merkabah" is dark but not metal. The acoustic guitars on this one sound great. The vocals are still in the smoky croon, so it keeps a similar feel to the previous song. The album is brought to it's climax with "Limitless Light" which takes a much more straight forward path towards sludge. It rides the line between sludge and doom with the down trodden lethargy the riff throbs with, but the underlying empowerment of aggression in it's mood is what tips the scales in the direction of sludge.  You could also ask the simple question does this fall more in line with "Through Sliver and Blood" or  "Turn Loose the Swans".

They are very effective and hammering you with the weight of their heaviness and managed to throw a twist of blues into it.I'll give this one a 9 as I think they get the job done and this album really takes it to the next level the last song is pretty cool but not as awesome as the first so keeps it from being a perfect ten, but worth your time if you like sludge for sure.
ITCOS Teaser from Frank Guerra Productions on Vimeo.



3.7