Serpent Noir / Sargeist - Transcendental Black Magic (2022)

Unleashing over 45 minutes of soul-crushing Black Metal today we have Serpent Noir and Sargeist with a split release titled “Transcendental Black Magic”. With none of the bands needing any introductions, this release is a very swift and brutal way to start the year, thanks to both bands unraveling some truly punishing tracks.

The split starts with Greece’s Serpent Noir and their sinister and more rudimentary approach to the genre, with “Throne Of Satanas”, the band sets a creepy mood with their eerie vocal arrangements alongside epic guitar leads and crafty drumming. As “Endless Night of Lilith” and “Epiklisis Tou Eosforou” roll around, we can see the band’s ability to craft well paced tunes filled with devilish melody.

Sargeist opens with “Daemon Behind The Bars” creating a very intricate and eerie atmosphere. The excellent guitar work crafted by Shatraug is, again, perfectly paired with Profundus vocal versatility, as the first track has a certain 90’s early Black Metal days vibe. More along the band’s signature style, “God of the Darkest Dawn” and “Spirit Nox Famuli” deliver the traditional blistering dual guitars alongside Gruft’s creative drumming. These kinds of songs are just perfect for some heavy headbanging as they flow very naturally.

Closing with the ravaging “The Eleventh Claw”, we are left quite satisfied with how well both bands blend in this split release. It’s been a couple of years since we’ve had any music from either band, so this release will leave us with high expectations for whatever they release in the future and on their own.

Label: World Terror Committee

Release: January 23rd, 2022

Genre: Black Metal

Country: Greece / Finland