Eagle Twin – The Feather Tipped The Serpent’s Scale (Southern Lord)

The first two tracks on the album go hand in hand being that they are named The Ballad of Job Cain Parts 1 and 2 respectively, each comfortably going over the nine minute mark. This eighteen minute onslaught is easily the highlight on the album. You find yourself getting lost in the heaviness as the riffs thunder on and on relentlessly. You get the feel that perhaps they were split into two because an eighteen minute song maybe looks a bit over the top, but after listening to the first, you really feel like you cannot continue your day until you also listen to part two. As you listen through the album it quickly becomes clear that the sheer lengths of these songs are due mainly to the extended instrumental sections, something I imagine would be incredible in the live arena. The next two tracks on the album Adan (Lorca) and Snake Hymn are also absolute behemoths, the latter of which is especially memorable as it really makes you feel like your face is about to melt. The riffs during the middle part of the track transform into some impressive soloing and frenetic drumming, giving the song even more depth in character. After this eleven minute epic, the remaining three tracks become a lot shorter in length, with two of them not even making the five minute mark! Shocking.

But this does not mean Eagle Twin let up in any way in the absolute blitzkrieg, with It Came To Pass The Snakes Became Mighty Antlers conveying a faster, more energetic approach to the Doom based tracks earlier in the album. The fact Eagle Twin can transcend between the two styles so effortlessly only highlights their potential for progress. Of course, Eagle Twin do exactly what is needed for a Doom or Sludge Metal album, but there is no denying that you would of course need to be in the right mood to listen to it. It is already plain and clear that this band will not be for everyone, and are unlikely to truly reach the masses, but honestly when music is this heavy and enjoyable at the same time, who cares?