Avant-garde black metal, dark atmospheres and themes …. let’s try Serotonin. “Motiv” is the band’s fourth album release. The band itself has been around for about 20 years.
The album starts with the fast and hard “Climbing the Colossus”, the colossus being a statue which looks down on Lake Maggiore in Italy, apparently. Serotonin by the way come from the Netherlands. I didn’t get the connection of the statue with the song, which between the black n roll assaults contains a slower, menacing section. It’s a decent song. “Sinner Box” is more gnarled but still with the intense energy of the opening song. Devoted to sinister atmosphere, I liked the brief distorted overlay in the middle but while again the song is clearly devoted to malevolence, it didn’t really start any fires in me. “Garrote in D” is more like it, well for me anyway, as it creeps along and drags us through dark territories. The tempo increases, and the figurative winds whip up. Sound effects are used to intensify the sense of suffering.
“Garrote in D” maintains its treacherous course impressively and leaves its mark more than what I had heard so far. “Kanishibari” comes down like a hammer, driving along constantly and above all with menace. A break leads to a quiet passage and a drum explosion, accompanied by the savage growled vocals. Anger and evil characterise the dense “Glioma Psychedelica”. The heavy output gears itself up to a Khold-like drive before an excursion into the catacombs and a return to the pumping iron. “Spike Wave Discharge” is similar in approach but goes into much deeper territory, which I liked. Progress is machine-like. Deep growls accompany them. Then it all breaks down and the sonic version of chaos and anarchy is recreated – this was a welcome and interesting diversion. The album finishes with “Leidmotiv”, a black metal romp.
I liked the way that Serotonin took us in different directions. They use sound and tempo very well to control the mood. The core sound is adeptly managed but to anyone who’s heard a lot of black metal, for the most part it won’t be something that chills or surprises you. “Motiv” nevertheless is an accomplished album.
(7/10 Andrew Doherty)
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