Band:	Crimson Moon
Album:	Under The Serpentine Spell
Style:	Black metal
Release date:	2005
A review by:	Troy Killjoy

01. Cults Of The Shadow
02. Chaos Of The Sea (Mummu Tiamat)
03. Raise The Horns Of Battle
04. Amidst The Labyrinths Of Depression
05. The Withering Rose Of Purity
06. The Blood That Is Eternal
07. Her Cursed Kiss
08. Bloodstained Dreams Of The Dragon
09. Under The Serpentine Spell
10. Outro (Within The Dreaming Mind Of The Seperate)

Under The Serpentine Spell is a complicated album if only for attempting to pinpoint its release date. In and around 1997, bootleg tapes of the band's studio rehearsal began circulating, though it was never considered an official release by the band. This was the case at least up until 2004, when key member Nocturnal Overlord took charge of remixing and remastering duties, helping push the material into an officially sanctioned full-length release. But was it all worth it?

Maybe if Varg didn't do a bunch of arson and kill a guy he could have went on to release some underground occult black metal with that little prison keyboard of his just like Crimson Moon did. Then again, maybe everything is predestined and we have no free will or control over our meaningless decisions leading up to our calculated deaths. Who can say.

Being directly lifted from a 4 track recorder, there are plenty of criticisms that immediately come to mind, but since these songs technically never would have seen the (proper) light of day if not for those bootleg releases lending some cause to re-release it in its current state, the focus will remain on the music as much as possible.

Overlooking how low every non-synth instrument is in the mix, you can still make out some of the more intricate guitar melodies that make random appearances over the course of the album. They aren't particularly grabbing as they're mostly subtle additions to the sweeping, continuous riffing, but the warm and fuzzy feel they create gives the album some of its welcoming atmosphere. In order to restore balance against that almost joyous element, eerie synth work dominates the mix and establishes that archetypal occult tone still referenced over a decade later by contemporary black metal artists.

While a seemingly obvious choice, the distinct lack of technicality at times comes across as a lack of ability, heightened by the fact that each song struggles to reach a cohesive end. The listener is bombarded by high-pitched synths and a combination of murky drums and guitars being muffled in the mix, leaving very little to hold on to. Even if every instrument came through clean and equal, the grating tone would still dominate in spite of a clear attempt at conveying a majestic, epic atmosphere.

When all is said and done, Under The Serpentine Spell is an unnecessary album that probably took more time and effort to release in its proper form than to simply write more interesting, fresh material. Bootleg copies may not have done the music justice, but neither does this official release -- not that the music was worth such effort to prevent falling into complete obscurity anyway. It's too long, too trapped in its own world, and never quite pushes beyond the rigidity of its structured routine to entertain or excite.