Serotonin “Motiv”
Serotonin are a band that combines black metal with elements of thrash and death metal into their sound. From their 2012 debut album Antiphon, the band stayed the course and stayed consistent in making music through the 2010’s. With the band’s newest album Motiv, the band looks to expand their sound even more. Did their album push the band’s sound to a new direction? Is it in a good new direction? Well yes…..and no.
The album opens with the song "Climbing The Colossus". With nostalgic, old school sounding black metal guitar, the slow-paced opening guitar strums turn into driving, up-tempo first wave of black metal. Martin Perescis’ vocals have deep guttural delivery amongst the shrieking he does at some parts. Sander Hordijk delivers very catchy, upbeat but ominous guitars throughout the song. The slow down at the halfway mark gives off a heavy, doom metal vibe you’d hear off a My Dying Bride track. Bringing the song to an almost screeching halt, into chanting, tunnel vocal delivery and heavy, depressing atmosphere. Double bass begins to rise and pick the tempo back up on the song as we get a blackened death metal delivery for the closing moments of the song. "Sinner Box" opens with a winding and wailing tremolo guitar with ominous cymbal strikes before the song fully kicks into gear. Drums are fast-paced, chaotic and blasting throughout as the guitars deliver that brooding and evil tremolo play style. Vocals are a little buried in the mix at some parts, with so much of the instrumentation louder than the vocals, it is almost on the level of Portal at some parts. The programming effects at the halfway mark also get buried in the mix. In a loudness war between the drums and guitars, hurting whatever effect or layer it added to the song. Bass gurgles ring out amidst the drumming, which the drumming seems to dominate the muddiness of the guitars and bass mix. On "Garrote in D", the song opens with a building drum and palm-muted riff, with the guitars louder in the mix and the drums toned down in the production. The song definitely channels an almost black n roll sound, which works as it adds the evil and darkness of the black metal genre, while also creating a groove and bounce that traditional heavy metal or genres like death n roll do. Solid track, and my favorite track off the album.
"Kanishibari" opens with reverb heavy guitars, that transition in-between chugging guitars and building drums. A slow burn kind of opening in a way, as the drums begin to slowly pick up the pacing of the song, as the guitars seem to keep the same pacing. Gritty, almost low tunnel singing vocals come in and add a bleak and hopeless feeling to the energy of the song. A continuation of the death n roll feeling to the song, I do like this new direction. In a way, it adds something different to the band's sound. "Glioma Psychedelia" returns to that first wave of black metal sound in the opening. Ringing tremolo guitars, thumping drums and bass help build up tension and anticipation for the song to kick into gear. The band returns to straight blast beats and tremolo-heavy guitars on the track. Though it is done perfectly, checking all the boxes of the black metal checklist, I think the song is just ok and I liked the experimentation of their black n roll sound from the previous two tracks. "Spike Wave Discharge" brings back the groove of "Kanishibari", while adding visceral aggression in Perescis’ vocals. Slow down moments appear on the song and continue the experimental song structure and instrumentation. With elements of groove, doom, thrash and black metal. A unique track overall. The album closes with the song "Leidmotiv". Guitars mimicking a post-black metal opening of plinking, atmospheric reverb before the guttural, gravelly vocals come in with light pounding drums. Double bass kicks in hard as the song sprints to the finish line of brutality with its speed and vocal intensity. A strong closing track, that ends with high-octane drumming and manic guitar and vocals as the album wraps up.
Motiv is an interesting record to me. On the black metal aspect of the record, it unfortunately wasn't really inventing the wheel in the black metal genre, falling into the generic black metal sound that almost makes it indistinguishable from the countless other bands out there. I did like the band's foray into the black n roll sound on a couple songs off the album. Wishing the album went into that direction, since it did make the sound more unique and stand out. There also seem to be production choices that I think hurt the record at some points. With some sections where drums overshadowed or guitars were too loud. Vocals were buried and any programming/effects used to add an element to the track were definitely hindered. Could be the famous "loudness wars" many modern day albums face in their mixing. Overall, it is an ok record in my opinion, and I do like the black n roll elements in the album's sound. I think hopefully in future releases the band will head into that direction with their music.
SCORE: 3 / 5
You can check out the album on the band's Bandcamp page HERE.
