Wiberg, Per: The Serpent's Here

Per Wiberg is a Swedish musician most notable for his work in Spiritual Beggars and an extended period playing keys in Opeth. The Serpent's Here is Per’s second full-length album, and follows 2019’s debut solo offering Head Without Eyes and 2021’s All Is Well In The Land Of The Living, But For The Rest Of Us… Lights Out EP.

The Serpent's Here is a 6-track offering, with a bonus track thrown in for good measure. The overall mood of the release is dark, but the range of styles and moods employed, both within tracks and across the release, is quite varied and impressive. Per's keyboard playing is strong without it being the focus. Typically when I hear 'solo' records I assume there will be flashy playing on show, however, his vocals and arrangements are arguably where the emphasis lies on this album.

The first 2 tracks, "Dead Sky Lullaby" & "The Serpent's Here", give me a similar vibe to Faith No More, Alice in Chains, and other heavy alternative bands of that ilk. The guitars are prominent in these two rocking tracks, and there is no shortage of vocal harmonies and nuanced instrumentation to keep me engaged.

The release starts to get more experimental from Track 3, and this is probably where I’m most on board too. The first half of "Blackguards Stand Silent" has a horror movie soundtrack vibe, like something off Fantomas The Directors Cut release. The track runs through an array of different sections and gets more up-tempo as it navigates the 8+ minute run time.

"This House Is Someone Else’s Now" is a bluesy, jazzy dark ballad of sorts, which has a retro vibe due to the tones used by the band throughout (was that a Mellotron?). it’s a great track and potentially the style most suited to the band that Per has assembled.

"He Just Disappeared" is almost like a cinematic spoken word piece that tells an unsettling tale of an encounter with a man with wings. Haunting. I don’t think I’ll ever forget this piece.

"Follow the Unknown" concludes the release proper in a well-rounded and holistic display. This track seems to have a bit of everything from the release, including a great vocal.

The bonus track, a Warrior Soul cover of "The Losers", closes out the album. I’m not one for bonus tracks and this one hasn’t changed that view.

I like this album. I probably wouldn’t have heard if it if I wasn’t assigned it to review, but It’s a dark and interesting release that I’m sure I’ll revisit. Whilst it’s not overtly progressive, nor is it a metal release, I’m confident that the abundance of styles and moods will appeal to fans of progressive and heavy music styles.

TRACKLIST:
1. Dead Sky Lullaby
2. The Serpent's Here
3. Blackguards Stand Silent
4. This House Is Someone Else's Now
5. He Just Disappeared
6. Follow the Unknown
7. The Losers (Warrior Soul cover)

Added: February 19th 2024
Reviewer: Chris Reid
Score:
Related Link: Artists @ Bandcamp
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Language: english

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