Belgium’s Serpents Oath have carved their name into the obsidian walls of modern black metal with Revelation, a record that feels less like an album and more like a doctrinal purge. Emerging from the shadows of their previous works (Nihil and Ascension), this third full-length is a declaration of spiritual warfare—an uncompromising, ritualistic assault that fuses militant precision with esoteric fervor. The band, now a quintet, channels the rawness of second-wave black metal while injecting a contemporary venom that makes Revelation feel timeless and timely.

The album’s cover is a visual invocation: serpents entwined in sacred geometry, cloaked figures mid-ritual, and a palette of blood, ash, and void. It’s not just symbolic—it’s prophetic. The artwork mirrors the sonic architecture within: structured chaos, deliberate blasphemy, and a reverence for the arcane. This isn’t just packaging—it’s part of the liturgy. Serpents Oath understand that black metal is as much visual as it is auditory, and Revelation delivers on both fronts.

Technically, the album is a triumph of balance. The guitars are serrated and relentless, alternating between tremolo-picked barrages and dissonant, ritualistic chording. Draghul’s drumming is thunderous yet surgical, shifting from blastbeat maelstroms to mid-tempo marches with commanding control. Tes Re Oth’s vocals are a venomous sermon—rasped, layered, and soaked in conviction. The production is modern but never sterile; it preserves the grit while enhancing the clarity, allowing each instrument to breathe within the inferno.

Standout tracks like Blood Covenant and Cult of Death exemplify the band’s duality: aggression and atmosphere, doctrine and destruction. Blood Covenant opens with a warlike cadence, its riffs slicing through the mix like ritual blades, while Cult of Death builds a suffocating aura before erupting into a frenzy of spiritual annihilation. These aren’t just songs—they’re invocations, each one a chapter in the band’s theological rebellion. The interludes (Invocatio Genesis, Invocatio Apocalypsis, Invocatio Resurrectio) serve as ritual breaths between exorcisms, enhancing the album’s narrative arc.

Revelation is not a reinvention—it’s a refinement. Serpents Oath don’t seek to innovate for innovation’s sake; they seek to perfect the craft, to channel the genre’s essence with renewed potency. This album is a blade sharpened on tradition and wielded with modern fury. For those who crave black metal that honors its roots while embracing its evolution, Revelation is not just recommended—it’s required.

Released March 5th, 2024 via Odium Records.