Sermon: Of Golden Verse

Sermon are an intriguing band to say the least. The UK act’s latest album Of Golden Verse was released at the end of March via Prosthetic Records, and is the follow up to 2019’s debut Birth of the Marvelous.

Why would I call them and intriguing band? Well, over and above the lack of details around their band leader’s identity (preferring the alias of Him), the overall offering that Sermon deliver seems legitimately dark and spiritual, more so than the usual sort of thematic façade that bands might put up to make their music seem more alluring. Stylistically the musical offering from Sermon is also somewhat of an enigma. Progressive metal is probably the best label for the music but realistically, there are elements of gothic, doom and other heavy styles in the sound. For me, the music is vocally orientated, dark melodic metal, that is rhythmically nuanced to the point that the progressive tag does have merit. I really like the albums art work too- the shades of Crimson and Gold set up an almost regal aesthetic which seems to accompany the music very well. Strangely it is this aesthetic of an elusive, spiritual deity that seems to be a common/cohesive thread throughout the album generally. The production on the album is crisp and modern and suits the band’s music well.

I’ve been listening to Of Golden Verse for over a month now, and there’s no doubt it’s a very strong release. The aforementioned rhythmical nuance and the extremely polished, clean vocals provide a strong anchor to the band’s sound throughout the album. I hear shades of Soen, Tool, Porcupine tree and Katatonia at various times.

My only criticism of the album is that it’s perhaps a little narrow on the ‘in-track’ variations. If this band had a growled vocal style to juxtapose against the high calibre clean vocals I think it would elevate it from a very strong album to an absolute classic. I just find myself wanting some more aggressive moments or some other stylistic variation during some of the pieces. As is typical with me, this yearning for more is probably a personal preference thing coming into play- there’s no doubt this mix of clean vocals and rhythmically heavy arrangements will satisfy a lot of listeners.

Certainly an album worth checking out.

Track Listing
1. The Great Marsh
2. Royal
3. Light the Witch
4. In Black
5. The Distance
6. Senescence
7. Wake the Silent
8. Golden
9. Centre
10. Departure

Added: April 25th 2023
Reviewer: Chris Reid
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 725
Language: english

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