“Look for the lost and you just might find
That the cost is your mind
Ride the Serpent and make your stand
Cast no doubt to The Ram.”
Thirteen years had to pass since the release of “Crystal Logic” for Brandon Corsair to be born—founding member of SERPENT RIDER and the only one remaining from the days when the band was still called SKYWAY CORSAIR. I don’t know exactly at what age he first heard MANILLA ROAD and their seminal, third album but many years later, the lyrics of “The Ram” would inspire the new name of his band.
This is the relentless river of metal—indomitable, untamed, always finding its way to flow into the souls ready to quench their thirst with its magic waters. And Brandon’s soul is certainly one of those…
SERPENT RIDER‘s 2019 demo, “Pour Forth Surquidous” featured Nick Varsamis (LITANY, WRATHBLADE) on vocals. However, by the time they released their 12-inch split “Visions of Esoteric Splendor” in 2021 (a collaboration with EZRA BROOKS, led by S. Vincent of SMOULDER), the band had undergone a lineup change. With R. Villar taking over vocal duties, their sound underwent a transformation. Without losing their core identity, SERPENT RIDER found a more emotive, mystical expression. Now, signed to No Remorse Records, they were ready for the big leap!
It took another four years, but their debut is finally here! The first full-length studio album by SERPENT RIDER, titled “The Ichor of Chimaera”, is set for release in about a month and a half, and I am one of the lucky few who had the privilege, the joy, and the responsibility of introducing it to the world before its official unveiling.
So, let’s lay the foundation for describing this album.
The band’s sound is an exquisite fusion of dramatic epic doom and classic heavy metal. Hailing from the U.S., the current lineup consists of R. Villar (vocals), Brandon Corsair (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Paul Gelbach (lead guitar), Brian Verderber (bass), and Drake Graves (drums). Nick Varsamis makes a guest appearance, providing the intro narration on the opening track, while former bassist Andrew Lee, who played on all previous SERPENT RIDER releases, handled the production and mixing of this debut. The lineup changes came after 2021 when the band relocated from Los Angeles to Seattle. With the new lineup in place, SERPENT RIDER tightened their sound and ventured into fresh creative territory. Their live performances across the Pacific Northwest eventually led them to appearances at the Legions of Metal festival in Chicago and as a supporting act for METAL CHURCH in 2023. The following year, they toured with COLONY DROP and ANVIL before finally recording their debut album, mastered by the seasoned musical wizard Arthur Rizk.
If there is a central theme or message to “The Ichor of Chimaera”, I believe it is best captured by the title and essence of the opening track: “Steel Is The Answer”. The frantic rhythm and raw intensity of MANILLA ROAD, the razor-sharp attack reminiscent of early TWISTED TOWER DIRE, the eccentric heaviness of THE LORD WEIRD SLOUGH FEG, and the ritualistic mysticism of DOOMSWORD pulse through every second of the song, with R. Villar’s voice perfectly serving the dark atmosphere.
“The most straightforward epic metal song on the album, with an emphasis on barbarian riffing, simple choruses, and lyrics very loosely inspired by the fantasy works of Joe Abercrombie. This one started with a big Scorpions style meditative rock jam that ended up being the ending of the song and the huge main riff earlier in the song and the rest of it came together around those two.” says Brandon Corsair.
Next comes “Radiant”, an unrelenting onslaught that manages to pay homage both to the underground steel sound and the catchy acts of the most commercial sound, seamlessly blending epic grandeur with blistering speed and galloping rhythms.
“‘Radiant’ is our power metal jam! This song was a bit early FATES WARNING and a bit of glam-it was originally a lot more thrashing and fast, and as it got continuously rewritten
it ended up taking a lot of the guts from a project that I was doing in the vein of DOKKEN and FIFTH ANGEL carefully re-written and inserted in place of less catchy riffs that went to the songwriting graveyard.” comments Brandon.
The title track, “The Ichor of Chimaera”, plunges us into the band’s doom roots, echoing the spirit of BLACK SABBATH and early CANDLEMASS. It’s a track that unfolds like a mystical hymn, brimming with power and weight.
“Weird, pounding epic doom about a Greek monster that we’ve turned into a sort of dark
god. This has some of the craziest, most extensive soloing from our new lead
guitarist Paul and the end solo absolutely blew my mind the first time he showed it to us at band practice.” Brandon states.
Then comes the album’s first single, the ASTOUNDING “Matri Deorum”. It begins with an even slower, elegiac pace before unfurling into a rhythmic spectacle punctuated by stunning choral passages—a near-ceremonial composition that evokes the lyrical grandeur of WARLORD.
It is the only song that Brandon Corsair didn’t write lyrics for- this one had lyrics guest penned by the band’s friend Dr. Jeremy Swist, a classics professor that’s previously helped quite a bit with research for their songs that are lyrically oriented in antiquity. This one has the only synths on the album and some of the most extensive vocal layering.
The epic essence reaches its peak in the reverent “The Hero’s Spirit”, by which point R. Villar has more than proven her extraordinary vocal prowess. SERPENT RIDER now firmly stand alongside the likes of SMOULDER, CHRISTIAN MISTRESS, and STYGIAN CROWN—another female-fronted band that honors heavy metal not just through their playing but in spirit and vision.
“The moodiest song we’ve ever written, this one is a departure for us; even our doom songs in the past have had a lot of more upbeat WITCHFINDER GENERAL to them than the gloom and despair shown in full force on ‘The Hero’s Spirit’. This is almost a ballad gone doom…” says Brandon.
And for those old-school fans who might be longing for the band’s wilder, faster side, “Tyrant’s March” arrives with a cataclysmic, sweeping rhythm that will satisfy even the most demanding listeners. The way this storming assault seamlessly intertwines with a hymn-like chorus is SERPENT RIDER’s crowning achievement—a STUNNING fusion of epic metal with the underground traditional sound in all its expressive and complex depth, that’s so honestly portrayed by Brandon words: “The huge layered chorus coming right after an epic doom section and then going right into a SLAYER riff (with Paul’s most frenzied solo of the album on top!) is easily the most changes we’ve ever packed into 45 seconds and we love it.”
Even black metal elements make an appearance, both in “Tyrant’s March” and, most notably, in the album’s closing track, “In Spring”. Tremolo picking, two-voice
guitar writing, and lots of fast drums. Here, their love for VARATHRON resurfaces. Much like on “Visions of Esoteric Splendor”, where they closed with a cover of “Flowers of My Youth”, they once again pay tribute in their own unique way!
Brandon Corsair sums the whole thing up very nice: “After ten years of playing in SERPENT RIDER’s music it’s a pleasure to finally deliver a debut album that I feel like is a good balance of everything I love so much about heavy metal alongside some of my best friends. This is easily some of the finest material I’ve ever written, some of the tightest musicianship I’ve ever been lucky enough to have alongside my songs, and all on my favorite label in heavy metal: truly this is the year of SERPENT RIDER!”
And I couldn’t agree more with every single word!
Rush to get this album—this won’t just be another addition to your metal collection. It will be a sacred offering on the altar of underground sound, style, and ethos. It will stand as a precious testament to the evolution of epic doom metal. It will be a diamond that, thankfully, did not remain buried in obscurity but has risen to shine for all to see!
“The Ichor of Chimaera” will be released on March 28th by No Remorse Records, available on both CD and LP.
Check the discussion about the album in our forum pages.
You can pre-order both the CD and the LP here.
