The Year of the Snake is upon us, and the mighty Serpent Lord will teach us the once forgotten ways of the old through the music found in his majestic debut album.

Originally written in 2005, shelved, rebirthed and reimagined in the Year of the Snake, the excellent The Once Forgotten Ways of Old, the debut offering by Battle Ground, Washington-based solitary Pagan Black Metal vessel Serpent Lord, forged in 2003 by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Jake Superchi (UADA, Ceremonial Castings), but laid dormant for 20 years, stands as a triumphant and immersive work – melodic, fierce, and steeped in ritualistic energy. Recorded at Obsidian Spells, mixed and engineered by Jake Superchi himself, mastered by Arthur Rizk, and displaying a mythical and arcane artwork by Kris Verwimp, the album offers expansive riffing, evocative passages, and a dynamic interplay between harsh and atmospheric elements, both timeless and fully awakened, while at the same time preserving every note of its primordial conception.

Jake kicks off his Stygian ceremony with the massive, multi-layered hymn Aries Ram, where his trademark enraged roars walk hand in hand with his scorching riffs and blast beats in a lecture in Melodic Black Metal, followed by Constrictor, a more direct Black Metal tune in the vein of the old ones like Venom and Mayhem, with Jake once again crafting a beyond cryptic atmosphere with his flammable riffs and serpent-like vocals. And his raging guitar transpires obscurity in the intense title-track The Once Forgotten Ways of Old, offering moments of pure heaviness and ritualistic doom intertwined with his classic Black Metal madness. Then we face Enter Serpentagram, presenting elements from the mighty UADA (for obvious reasons) but still sounding unique, as well as another killer job done by Jake on vocals, guitars and drums, flowing majestically until its venomous finale; whereas A Pagan’s Spell is as tribal and grim as it can be, inviting us all for another black mass led by the indomitable Serpent Lord, with Jake once again extracting those scathing riffs we all love so much. Lastly, he offers us all Forever on the Grounds of Battle, the perfect fusion of Black, Folk and Pagan Metal, with its main riff inspiring us all to raise our horns and worship the mighty Serpent Lord. Needless to say, the album couldn’t have ended in a more epic, climatic and somber way.

Channeling the spirit of 90’s Pagan Black Metal, Serpent Lord emerges from decades of silence with a work that fulfills the promise of its early recordings. It’s an album shaped by time, and driven by an uncompromising vision of Black Metal. If you want to put your hands on such a unique and evocative album, you can purchase it from the project’s own BandCamp (worldwide), as well as from Eisenwald Records (Europe and UK) or from Obsidian Spells (North America). In other words, the Year of the Snake is upon us, and the imposing Serpent Lord will teach us the once forgotten ways of the old through the music found in his majestic debut album.

Best moments of the album: Aries Ram, Enter Serpentagram and Forever on the Grounds of Battle.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2026 Eisenwald Records

Track listing
1. Aries Ram 8:35
2. Constrictor 3:09
3. The Once Forgotten Ways of Old 8:36
4. Enter Serpentagram 4:58
5. A Pagan’s Spell 5:27
6. Forever on the Grounds of Battle 8:09

Band members
Jake Superchi – vocals, all instruments