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Rating:
THE REVIEW
...Masterful...
It's the term that best suits these over two and a half hours of dark and decadent music.
The sacred word of Cathedral from His Majesty Lee Dorrian; from the very slow and cadaveric Doom beginnings of the early nineties, to the year of Our Lord 2001 when the band left the historic label "Earache Records".
And it's the Nottingham-based label that conceived and created this double anthology collection released on the market in June 2004; as a necessary tribute to the only heirs of that evil and gloomy sound built by Black Sabbath.
One hundred and fifty-seven minutes and twenty-seven tracks; the first CD is a true summary of the English band's studio work. While the even rawer and deeper second disc is (de)composed of unreleased tracks, demos, instrumental versions; in many cases with suffocating length, so long and mournful (exemplary is listening to "Neophytes for Serpent Eve").
A Sabbath ritual that knows no pause; they push you around, demolish you, and reduce you to dust. An agonizing listening experience, extremely slow, dizzying as occurs in "Equilibrium": exhausting guitar loops so weak and "unmotivated" (listen to its ending once, ten, a hundred times and we'll talk about it). All emphasized by Lee's abysmal voice; to complete the descent into the eternal inferno.
Another twenty-six tracks await you, or if you prefer a hundred and fifty minutes...IMPRISONED IN FLESH...
Diabolos Rising 666.
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Summary by Bot
The review praises Cathedral’s 'The Serpent’s Gold' as a masterful and extensive doom metal anthology. It highlights the deep connection to Black Sabbath’s legacy, with 27 tracks across two CDs including studio works and rare unreleased material. The slow, agonizing, and immersive music is matched by Lee Dorrian's powerful vocals. A must-listen for fans of heavy, dark, and atmospheric metal.
Cathedral
Cathedral were an English doom-metal band founded by Lee Dorrian after his departure from Napalm Death. Their early releases are described as extremely slow, oppressive doom, later expanding toward seventies-rooted hard rock, psychedelia, prog touches, and stoner rock nuances. The band’s run is repeatedly framed as spanning roughly 1990 to 2013, ending with the final release “The Last Spire.”20 Reviews
