Band:	Sermon
Album:	Of Golden Verse
Style:	Alternative metal, Progressive metal
Release date:	March 2023

01. The Great Marsh
02. Royal
03. Light The Witch
04. In Black
05. The Distance
06. Senescence
07. Wake The Silent
08. Golden
09. Centre
10. Departure

2019 saw the Birth Of The Marvellous. Since that birth, Sermon has grown up, and is now unleashing a sophomore release that is golden, in its verses and everywhere else.

Sermon is, for the most part, a one-man project led by an anonymous fellow going only by the name Him. Between this, the band and album titles, and album artwork, this is either a Christian metal band, a mocking of such acts, or a guy with severe delusions of grandeur, and I have no real idea from the promo text which it is, although I would expect someone that unironically refers to themselves as a godlike figure would probably not have the self-editing ability to create music this darn good. While presented as a one-man band, there is one major exception to this, as James Stewart (Decapitated, Bloodshot Dawn, ex-Vader and more) returns on drums; the two worked together exceptionally well on Birth Of The Marvellous, and have only improved with On Golden Verse.

Birth Of The Marvellous lingered in the realm between progressive and alternative metal, like many bands described as sounding A Bit Like Tool. Such a comparison felt slightly tenuous even on the debut record, although the warmth of Him’s vocals and some of the textures weren’t a million miles away from Tool’s work. Arguably the main element that helped distance Sermon from such comparisons in a way that the likes of Soen and Wheel initially struggled with (looks like there’s a requirement for any band in this niche to have a one-word name) was Stewart’s drumming; coming from extreme metal, he brought an intensity that could take Birth Of The Marvellous into heavier territory, despite its generally mellow aura. Of Golden Verse makes a major stride in pushing the boundaries of Sermon’s aggression and power; everything that made Birth Of The Marvellous so alluring is still present here (with songs such as “The Distance” and “Golden” reviving motifs from the debut to underline this), but there’s simultaneously been musical progression and expansion.

The evolution of Sermon is noticeable very early on when listening to Of Golden Verse; once the tone-setting introduction “The Great Marsh” is over, “Royal” commences with pounding drum rolls and gnarly chugs. It sustains a tense, restless energy for a long while without fully unleashing itself; there’s no true cathartic explosion in “Royal”, but it grows and transforms subtly across the waves of building tension. “Light The Witch” initially feels like it could be a repeat of ever-growing tension, but offers some welcome release with its lively chorus; this song arguably peaks, however, in its emotionally charged second half, one that combines initial mellowness with increasing urgency, with Stewart absolutely decimating the toms in the process.

These are both great songs, but the real standout here in terms of the heavier tracks is undoubtedly “Wake The Silent”, which I already know is going to be in ‘song of the year’ contention for me. The main riff in this song, hot damn: the guitars and drums just lock in so tightly for this visceral, frantic, face-shredding riff that demands listeners throw themselves into it. The song in general finds a balance between seductive melody, urgent emotion and intense aggression, with Stewart once again extracting everything out of his kit with a real tour de force. “Wake The Silent” is the kind of immense experience that can justify the existence of an album all on its own; luckily, there’s another 9 great tracks to enjoy on Of Golden Verse as well.

Still, all this increased intensity is all well and good, but Birth Of The Marvellous reveled in its tender emotion and warm musical tapestries, and it would be a shame for Sermon to overlook this, but they absolutely don’t. The back-to-back of “The Distance” and “Senescence” features Tool-esque tom-heavy drum sections, evocative vocals, stirring guitar soloing, measured musical evolution, tender quiet passages, and proggy expansiveness: all the good stuff. The song that ties what Sermon already were to what they have become is the closer, “Departure”; on the one hand, this song features the greatest ties to Stewart’s extreme metal background with its liberal use of blast beats and some huge riffs, but there’s also triumphant melody (used exquisitely in tandem with those blasts) and rich atmospheric bridges.

If you’re unfamiliar with Sermon and looking for specific reference points, on top of Tool-like bands such as Soen and Wheel, I did find myself thinking of the likes of Opeth, Porcupine Tree and surprisingly enough Trivium in certain moments. However, I think Sermon have done more than enough on Of Golden Verse to distinguish themselves as a standalone powerhouse; this is an outstandingly written, excellently performed beast of a record, and, hot on the heels of the equally stellar new album from Ne Obliviscaris, another early entrant into the Album Of The Year race.