IN THE COMPANY OF SERPENTS is a Sludge Metal trio from Denver, CO. "Lux," the group's fourth full length album, was originally released independently on digital streaming platforms on May 15, 2020, but is getting a vinyl and CD re-issue through Petrichor, a subsidiary of Hammerheart Records on September 3, 2021.

Picture, if you will, an outpost town in the middle of Kansas following the end of the Civil War. It is high noon, and a man with a cowboy hat and a pistol at his right hip rides into town on his trusty steed. He is greeted on Main Street by a crowd, a member of which warns him of his foe, who waits at the other edge of the street. The man dismounts his horse and looks his enemy in the eye, unphased by the intimidating stare that meets his gaze. He squints at his opponent and, without hesitation, draws the weapon at his side and fires. His foe is not quite as sharp to the draw and, though he takes out his own weapon, is killed before he can get off his own shot. The man blows the smoke from the barrel of his pistol, holsters his weapon, and gives his hat to a boy in the crowd before mounting his steed once again and riding off into the distance.

This is the first image that came to my mind when I started listening to this album. While IN THE COMPANY OF SERPENTS utilizes some of the same aggression that is present in albums from groups like CROWBAR, LORD DYING, and YOB, there's also a clear appreciation for the Spaghetti Western genre of film and the music of pioneering composer Ennio Morricone. J.P. Damron's drumming is thunderous and epic; Ben Pitts' bass playing is melodic and forceful; and Grant Netzorg's voice mimics the ferocious bellow of Matt Pike whereas his guitar playing switches from sludgey madness to reverb-soaked ambience at the drop of a hat. And the fact that these two styles mix together so well is a testament to this band's creative ability.

"The Fool's Journey," the opening track, best exemplifies the Sergio Leone-inspired soundscapes that define this band's sound, beginning with some clean and spacious guitar sounds before launching us headfirst into the heaviness that awaits. A 10-minute behemoth of a track, tempo changes, barked vocals, and fuzzed-out guitars abound. "Scales of Maat" follows, a real banger of a tune that transitions from headbanging grooves to tremolo-picked, slowed-down intensity almost instantly.

Other highlights from this album include "The Chasm at the Mouth of the All," which starts off so country-fried it almost sounds like the opening theme song to the television series "True Blood" before bringing us into a down tuned, LED ZEPPELIN-esque groove; "Archonic Manipulations," which starts off with one of the most fun riffs on the album and shows Netzorg sounding like a demonic version of Troy Sanders from MASTODON; and "Prima Materia," the album's closer, which starts off sounding almost like an acoustic ballad before ending unexpectedly on an incredibly heavy note.

Overall, this is a phenomenal record. IN THE COMPANY OF SERPENTS know how to keep listeners on their toes, and Spaghetti Western influence is truly inspired. This is definitely going down as one of my favorite albums of the year, and I can't wait to hear what the band has in store next.