The Atlanta sluggers are a good jumping off point, as there are some similarities in the way that Urne wrap their crunching heaviness in convoluted, proggy twists and turns. But as soon as you think you have them pegged they’ll veer from an eight-minute instrumental (Memorial) to a slab of dirty rock‘n’roll (Envy The Dead). Elsewhere there are post-metal swirls and furiously technical passages. Parts of Desolate Heart sound like a Gojira/Slayer hybrid (no bad thing), while classic metal licks and thrash riffs abound.
It’s not an instant album but it rewards repeated listening and heralds the arrival of a vital new force in British metal.
Verdict: 4/5
For fans of: Mastodon, Gojira, Barishi
Serpent & Spirit is released on 25 June via Candlelight.
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