Eagle Twin: The Feather Tipped the Serpent's Scale

Eagle Twin is a duo based out of Salt Lake City, Utah. Though not as widely known for its metal scene as other cities in the USA, Salt Lake City is home to enough bands (and plenty of fans) to prove that it has lots of good music to hear. I've only seen a handful of local bands (Cornered by Zombies, Truce, Incendiant, Burn Your World, to name a few) but I've never seen these guys, let alone heard of them. Too bad for me; after listening to The Feather Tipped the Serpent's Scale, their second full-length release, I count myself a long-term fan.

The music on this album is mostly characterized by a heavy sound played in a slower tempo. At times, the music sounds like early Om, but heavier. I think a fair comparison could also be made to Mastodon's early work, though these guys never play as fast as Mastodon does. I don't want to make too much of these comparisons, mostly because I don't think these guys are trying to be either of those bands. If you're looking for a band in the same mood as those two, though, I think Eagle Twin is for you.

I don't know what the songs are trying to get at lyrically, but there is definitely some kind of mystical / religious theme being played out here. I loved the title to "It Came to Pass the Snakes Became Mighty Antlers." There's definitely a kind of Biblical vibe these guys are toying with and the result, perhaps because of its very mysteriousness, is terrific. I was especially impressed with "The Ballad of Job Cain." I'm not sure if the band means to combine two of the Bible's sorriest souls into one guy (Cain, the murderer and outcast and Job, the man covered with boils), but any music that treats someone being as cast down and helpless as they were potentially makes for some good metal. Herman Melville's Ishmael, the restless survivor and narrator of Moby-Dick also comes to mind.

My interest flagged a little at times, particularly in the third track "Lorca (Adan)." I think that's mostly due to my sense that these guys occasionally go on a little too long. I have nothing against long songs, but I also think things could be tightened up from time to time. Nevertheless, The Feather Tipped the Serpent's Scale doesn't disappoint. I may easily count it among my favorite doom / sludge recordings of the year so far.

Track Listing:
1. The Ballad of Job Cain Part I
2. The Ballad of Job Cain Part II
3. Lorca (Adan)
4. Snake Hymn
5. HornSnakeHorns
6. It Came to Pass the Snakes Became Mighty Antlers
7. Epilogue, Crow's Theology

Added: August 21st 2012
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Myspace Page
Hits: 2995
Language: english

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