I’ll get right to it. The Ichor of Chimaera is an unconvincing debut from SERPENT RIDER, formerly SKYWAY CORSAIR. I believe this band has potential, but their debut, released on March 28, 2025, via No Remorse Records, seems unsure of itself. Frankly it sounds like a demo, which, to be fair, is where most bands start, so not I’m knocking the band on those grounds.

The Ichor of Chimaera comprises seven tracks and spans 36 minutes. With smooth, clean vocals, a solid rhythm section, and a balanced guitar attack, SERPENT RIDER has all the right elements but in the wrong proportions. The guitar work is good but not urgent or mean enough; the vocals are technically sound, but they never punch out.

I tried to pin down my dissatisfaction with the album. Some of it’s down to the production values, but mostly it’s a combo of lackluster songwriting and a passionless delivery. The band just seems to be holding back, staying between some prescribed lines. Their style jumps around a bit, giving the album an ungrounded feel. Altogether, though, none of the tracks really jumped out at me.

Admittedly, this could be a me thing. I was listening to Sabbath when they were a new band, so I remember when traditional heavy metal was just metal. Maybe I’m just over it.

At any rate, I’d be curious to see which direction their next album goes, but as of now the trajectory is unclear. If NWOTHM is your thing, SERPENT RIDER’s The Ichor of Chimaera may be worth a listen. For extreme metal fans, probably a hard pass.