Shrike, a UK three-piece metal band. On the 21st February 2025, Shrike released their debut full-length album entitled “The Divine and the Serpentine.” The album was promoted through Stampede Press.
Shrike Social Links
The First Three Sins of The Divine and the Serpentine
Let’s start by discussing the first three sins of Shrike and their album, The Divine and the Serpentine
The First Sin, The Strings/Keys: Features twin guitar work, characterized by a blend of melodic death, metalcore, and progressive metal elements. Incorporating ambient, cinematic, and orchestral textures into their music, creating a dense and fully realized sound. The bass riff provides a solid foundation. The Second Sin, The Vocals: Emotional expression that alternates between harsh screams, growls, and clean singing. The Third Sin—The Percussions: Dynamic and versatile drum work that incorporates fast-paced rhythms and dynamic double bass pedal patterns.
The Fourth Sin: Overall Discussion:
Musical versatility and their commitment to carefully addressing tough topics with raw honesty and compassion.
As soon as the listener presses the play button, the opening piece Divine greets them with an epic atmosphere and instrumental soundscape. Following suit, the second piece, EBB and Flow (This Will Never End) builds up for what’s about to come…
The Divine and the Serpentine, is over sixty minutes long, spread across thirteen songs. The Divine and the Serpentine, is not only showcases their unique sound—a rich blend of ambient, cinematic, and orchestral textures—but also delves into deep thematic content through a “semi” concept album exploring the complexities of abusive relationships, making it a powerful story for the metal community. Each song on The Divine and the Serpentine weaves personal experiences with broader themes, providing insights into the challenges of addiction, recovery, and overcoming psychological trauma.
Tracks like Ebb and Flow (This Will Never End) and The Sinner in Saint’s Regalia vividly portray the emotional weight of supporting someone through addiction and the intense feelings surrounding suicidal thoughts. Meanwhile, Serpentine is loosely based on the story of Medusa, serving as a metaphor for mob mentality, black-and-white thinking, one-sided dogmatic thinking, and overly virtuous thinking—often from people who are simply projecting to feel better about themselves. In contrast, ‘Plagues Confide Through Masquerade’ delves into the raw turmoil of narcissistic abuse.
Shrike and their album The Divine and the Serpentine represent a fruit of art fusion of artistry and devilmanship. The results in a vibrant tapestry of sound that enthrals listeners. The Divine and the Serpentine showcases the fruit of art-talents of Liam, whose guitar work i skilful waves melodic cohesion with captivating riffs and intricate harmonized solos. His vocal range is equally impressive, effortlessly transitioning from fierce, guttural screams to ethereal growls and smooth, clean melodies, each note imbued with deep emotion. Adding to this rich sonic landscape is the dynamic drumming of Ste Byrne, whose energetic rhythms and skilful double bass patterns inject a driving force into the music. While Liam Shaw initially took the lead on vocals, the collaboration with Lucas Fletcher from Blanket during the album’s production introduced a new layer of vocal depth and complexity. This partnership, along with their relentless commitment to their art, has allowed Shrike to create an album that pulsates with raw energy and showcases a refined artistic vision.
The Divine and the Serpentine, is written and composed to perfection. Each song is different in tone, tempo, and instrumentation, as previously mentioned, combining acoustic, cinematic, and orchestral textures with melodic death and metalcore. All of this is enveloped in production that achieves an impeccable standard of quality. This exceptional production enhances the artistry of the composition and arrangement, showcasing not only the instrumental prowess but also the strength of the thoughtfully crafted lyrics.
Overall, Shrike and their album The Divine and the Serpentine is a compelling fruit of art, where sounds are not merely present but rather diverse.
The album concludes with the final track, No One Knows. As the music fades in the distance and the darkness, we want to give a shoutout to Stampede Press for letting us review Shrike and their album The Divine and the Serpentine. Now, we are going to conclude the review by talking about the final three sins and concluding the review.
The Last Three Sins
Let’s discuss the last three sins of Shrike and their album, The Divine and the Serpentine
The Fifth Sin, The Memorabilia:
For me, Shrike‘s album, The Divine and the Serpentine, showcases a remarkable fruit of art-of artistry, that brave and bold. The album’s seamless flow indicates a careful devilmanship, with each component appearing to be thoughtfully placed with great precision. As I immerse myself in the tracks, I come to admire the intentional rhythm and the careful orchestration of each note, chord, and music.
The Sixth Sin, The Artwork:
The artwork for Shrike‘s debut album, “The Divine and The Serpentine,” reflects the themes and emotions explored in their music. The album cover and related visuals are designed to complement the ambient, cinematic, and orchestral elements of their sound.
The Seventh Sin, Disrelish:
There is nothing to dislike in the musical offerings of Shrike and their album The Divine and the Serpentine. Thus, we conclude our review of Shrike and their album The Divine and the Serpentine. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for your time in reading this article. I encourage you to explore the work of Stampede Press as well as Shrike and their album The Divine and the Serpentine.
Members
Liam Shaw: guitar, vocals
Ste Byrne: drums
Danny Greenwood: guitar
Track-Listing
01. Divine
02. Ebb and Flow (This Will Never End)
03. Reconstruction
04. CXVIII
05. An Infinite Debt
06. The Sinner in Saint’s Regalia
07. Divine, Pt. II
08. Serpentine
09. The Riverbank
10. Plagues Confide Through Masquerade
11. O’ Father Time
12. In Pursuit of the Witch
13. No One Knows (QOTSA Cover)
