Still Remains
The Serpent

Sudden change of direction for Still Remains, perhaps due to the repeated line-up changes, now reaching their fourth studio effort.

Having abandoned the overused metalcore sounds of the first two works, they soften a bit and give birth to a pure and simple metal record.
The tracks, in full Still Remains tradition, still boast brilliant choruses, and the sound wall greatly benefits from the strong presence of the keyboards, yet while some episodes are decidedly appreciable ("The Wax Wall Of An Empty Room", "Dropped From The Cherry Tree", "Stay Captive", "Dancing With The Enemy"), the rest does not go beyond mediocrity.

More generally, the best tracks on the album are those where the band pushes more on the accelerator, while the level of engagement drops significantly in mid-tempos or ballads ("Maria" is horrible..).
It's nice to note the attempt to achieve greater compositional maturity (and variety) and to distance themselves from a scene that has become a caricature of itself, yet for now, the results are what they are. I'm looking forward to a fourth attempt with confidence.