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The Ichor of Chimaera

Serpent Rider

March 28th, 2025
7 tracks
36:07
The Ichor of Chimaera
The Ichor of Chimaera
1. Steel is the Answer
0:00
5:18
1. Steel is the Answer
Serpent Rider
5:18
2. Radiant
Serpent Rider
4:46
3. The Ichor of Chimaera
Serpent Rider
7:11
4. Matri Deorum
Serpent Rider
5:47
5. The Hero's Spirit
Serpent Rider
3:56
6. Tyrant's March
Serpent Rider
5:03
7. In Spring
Serpent Rider
4:06

Formed originally in 2015 as Skyway Corsair, Serpent Rider changed to the name they’re currently known as in 2017 in Los Angeles, California, with the new name coming from a line from Manilla Road’s "The Ram." After two years, the band’s first demo, "Pour Forth Surquidous", came out and drew international acclaim, setting the stage for a record deal with No Remorse Records and a split 12” with Canadian heavy metal magicians Ezra Brooks (featuring S. Vincent from the mighty Smoulder) in 2021.

After the recording of 2021’s "Visions of Esoteric Splendor" split, the band needed to change lineups once again to accommodate a move to Seattle from Los Angeles and quickly put together a new group of local wizards to get back to the work of delivering mystical heavy metal. With that new lineup the band cemented their status as a new regional force in the Pacific Northwest with a series of shows in 2023 leading up to a festival appearance at Legions of Metal in Chicago supporting Metal Church in 2023. The next year toured with Colony Drop and the mighty Anvil (Canada) and recorded their debut studio album, "The Ichor of Chimaera", a dense and arcane exploration of heavy metal might coming out on No Remorse Records on March 28th of 2025.

"The Ichor of Chimaera" is a seamless blend of the myriad influences that make Serpent Rider’s music stand out from the crowded modern metal scene: not only the obvious Manilla Road, Warlord, Black Sabbath, Candlemass, and the like that so many other bands draw from but also featuring heavy influence from the Greek black metal scene (particularly Varathron, Agatus, and Rotting Christ) and 1970s rock a la Wishbone Ash and Scorpions, tied together via focused writing across the band’s ten years of operation to form a cohesive whole. 

Credits

Serpent Rider is:
R. Villar - Vocals
Brandon Corsair - Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals
Paul Gelbach - Lead Guitar
Brian Verderber - Bass
Drake Graves - Drums

Drums recorded by rich3. Vocals recorded at MagicMix Studio. Guitars and bass recorded and engineered by Serpent Rider and reamped by Andrew Lee.

Producer, Mixing - Andrew Lee
Mastering - Arthur Rizk
Cover artwork, inner artwork, and logo - Karmazid
Layout by Obscure Visions
Intro narration by Nick Varsamis
Photography by John Malley

All solos by Paul Gelbach except for the outro solo on Steel Is The Answer, which was played by Brandon Corsair.