The Serpent

Album Review

The term "melodic metal" certainly has changed over the years. Back in the 1980s, the style was best suited for glam hams who were all about pontificating about (in the immortal words of Pvt. Cruiser from Stripes) "fast cars and fast women." Come the 21st century, some may consider a group like Still Remains a melodic metal band, but that's just one facet of the group, as a much tougher metal sound also lurks beneath the surface. This is especially evident throughout their third release overall, 2007's The Serpent, as the vocals alternate between sung and shouted and the rubbery riffs are equal parts nu metal and thrash. And lyrically, there is nothing party-hearty about Still Remains — considered Christian metalcore by many, the group deals with the same "us against them"/'trying to make sense out of life" topics that the majority of similarly styled bands tackle nowadays. Add a dash of Iron Maiden-esque guitar harmonies and song titles that could double as poem titles at your local coffeehouse's poetry night ("The Wax Walls of an Empty Room," "Dropped from the Cherry Tree," etc.), and you're ready to ride The Serpent.