Shrike, a three-piece metal band from Preston, the “wettest” city in England, plan to reshape the underground modern metal landscape with their debut album release in 2025. Titled The Divine And The Serpentine, this long player features a rich blend of ambient, cinematic, and orchestral textures while also delving into “deep thematic content” through a “semi” concept album exploring the complexities of abusive relationships.
Produced in collaboration with Lucas Fletcher of Blanket, who contributed to the vocals and mixing, and Connor Sweeney, formerly of Loathe, the album is said to reflect a four-year journey of resilience and artistic evolution. The recording was mastered by Grant Berry (Employed To Serve, Deaf Havana), with final mixes completed at Shell City Studios, ensuring high-quality production. T
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’ portray the emotional weight of supporting someone through addiction and feelings surrounding suicidal thoughts. Meanwhile, ‘Serpentine’ is loosely based on the story of Medusa, 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, while ‘Plagues Confide Through Masquerade’ delves into the raw turmoil of narcissistic abuse.
“This album was the end product of four years. Sleepless nights, anxiety attacks, and a million other roadblocks along the way. Memories: pristine and tarnished. Lost connections along with gained ones. Struggling through a global pandemic as well as emotionally developing as a human to the best of our abilities. This, is where all of these things have been channelled emotionally,” said Shrike guitarist/vocalist Liam Shaw, the other members being fellow guitarist Danny Greenwood and Ste Byrne on drums.
“A ‘semi’ concept album, split in two parts. it discusses themes and the effects of abusive forms of all relationships (romantic, friends, business partners, parent/child, kinship etc.)” Shaw continued. “All the emotions linked to being on the receiving end but also the self-reflection of our own behaviours and how we may perhaps be ones whom also need to atone for the way we treat people.”
Tracks featured on The Divine And The Serpentine are: ‘Divine’, ‘Ebb and Flow (This Will Never End)’, ‘Reconstruction’, ‘CXVIII’, ‘An Infinite Debt’, ‘The Sinner In Saint’s Regalia’, ‘Divine, Pt. II’, ‘Serpentine’, ‘The Riverbank’, ‘Plagues Confide Through Masquerade’, ‘O’ Father Time’, ‘In Pursuit of the Witch’ and a Queens Of The Stone Age cover in ‘No One Knows’.
The record will be released on 21st February 2025, to reserve you copy go here and check out the video for ‘The Riverbank’ from the album below.
