One of the best pleasures of listening to underground music is that the next band to make an impression commonly appears out of thin air. Case in point: Four years ago, a small project named Sermon made a significant and totally unexpected impact on the progressive metal landscape with their first album Birth of the Marvellous. The UK-based project is spearheaded by the mysterious Him, who is responsible for nearly all of the instrumentation and vocals, alongside Decapitated/Bloodshot Dawn/ex-Vader drummer James Stewart. The duo garnered much attention with music overflowing with melody, hypnotically melancholic vocals, and surprisingly mature songwriting chops. Sermon has returned in an attempt to catch lightning in a bottle twice with Of Golden Verse, and dammit, they did just that.
Sermon’s sound is a tough one to nail down descriptively, but we’ll give it a go. Present are similarities to Soen in some vocal patterns and general song structure, as well as bits of Katatonia in their melancholic nature. Porcupine Tree may be the most apt comparison, however, evidenced by their unpredictability, inherent catchiness, and soothing quality of the vocal tracks. The combination comes across as quite eclectic, and that’s absolutely the case with Sermon’s methodology. They are their own entity with an immensely different sound, forging these aforementioned elements – and a whole lot more – into a genuine work of artistic expression. With Of Golden Verse, they’ve moved forward in many facets, incorporating varying fresh elements, as well as adding intriguing twists.
An introductory track “The Great Marsh” contains harmonized vocals forming a sense of premonition, transitioning into “Royal,” to which emits a tribal dance of ingenious drums, contrasted by Him’s soaring vocals. Thick and crunchy rhythm guitars give a dose of edginess as the song drifts between tempo changes, all of which build to an explosive chorus that is equal parts calming and pressing. Slowly budding intensity ebbs and flows with massive vocal releases on “Light the Witch,” with primal screams added to give heft when required. Compared to Birth of the Marvellous, this is a noticeably heavier record, but never once losing the essential gobs of emotiveness.
Somber interlude “In Black” meshes with the mysterious aura of “The Distance,” which puts Stewart’s impeccable drum work on full display. His impactful playing is the backbone of Sermon’s sound, always containing a richness and rhythmic timing that’s fundamental to Sermon’s robust soundscapes. “Senescence” is the best representation of Him’s advanced songwriting acumen, channeling an inner Steven Wilson to take the listener on a journey ranging from beautiful to tense, wrapped in a blanket of melody. A straightforward and abrasive approach dominates “Wake the Silent” with apt guitar shredding and gritty clean vocals, complimented by the occasional snarl to change it up. “Golden” begins with a synth and drum driven intro, met by tambourines and memorable guitar licks low in the mix to add variance to what is mostly a mid-paced song with a number of nifty changes. Of Golden Verse finishes its manifest with a dreamy synth charged final interlude in “Centre” that sets up an aggressive closer in “Departure,” signing off with a riff-laden bang.
Sermon’s second full-length is more crushing and deliberate than its predecessor, but also increasingly elegant and refined. This is an album that’s meant to be taken in as a whole, not in scattered pieces, as the flow from start to finish is immaculate. There’s an ingrained complexity to the compositions with loads of nuance to uncover, but also an air of accessibility that is not often achieved within music of such rich detail. Of Golden Verse is a masterful example of songwriting prowess, mixed with a focus and hunger that are difficult to equal.