The Greek Heavy Metal band SERPENT LORD was founded in 2016 and is now allowing us to sample their second full length offering called "Apocrypha". With a name like that you expect them to be at least into the occult, and they are. To these guys, music is a way of expressing the dark side of life, with the intention to take over the world. Somehow that has me thinking of Pinky And The Brain. (For those who don't know it at all, look it up. It might be fun[ny].)

Let me phrase it in a way that is very clear: Ain't gonna happen with "Apocrypha". I'm not saying that this is a bad album. On the contrary, this is quite alright. But that's also just about it. This is not exceptional, not outstanding, not a cut above the rest. No, this is very solid straight forward Heavy Metal, played with a lot of enthusiasm and skill. Because these Greeks do know how to handle their instruments. Plus they have a great production to boost, so the sound is very clear and transparent.

Let's face it, when you are signed by a record company with the name From The Vaults, you know you are referring to something from the past. Something that has been done before. And to be honest, there's nothing wrong with that either. Musically SERPENT LORD have it all sussed.  Good melodic Metal with a bit of the mysterious dark side thrown in to enhance it all. On top of that a very pleasant voice that fits the Heavy Metal part, but really doesn't sound very occult or dangerous.

Lyrically they try to be cryptic, making sure the texts need to be listened to or read properly, just to be able to unscramble the symbolic meanings they have put in there. To me that is just about the most interesting part, because that is when you realise that they do have that less sunny side to them, and know how to express themselves accordingly.

All together "Apocrypha" is a very pleasant album for those who just want to enjoy some good old Heavy Metal. If you want more, then read and decipher the lyrics. They are what makes it special, because although the music itself is quite good, it's also easy to forget once you stop listening to "Apocrypha". To me that is something that SERPENT LORD need to work on.