I'd not heard any The Snake, The Cross, The Crown before, so when I first popped this disc in my CD player I was expecting some heavy assed shit, knowing what the bulk of the Equal Vision roster is like. But I was plenty surprised to learn that The Snake, as they shall be known for the purposes of this review, are more The Weakerthans than Alexisonfire, and instead of relying on intensity, they carefully craft their melodies to create some interesting and beautiful music.
The quintet call Southern California home and mix keyboards and programming with the usual guitar/bass/drums mix. It may not sound too new or appetising, but trust me, it is. After attracting the attention of Equal Vision following their 'Like A Moth Before A Flame' EP, the band went back into the studio and came out with this 10-tracker, a record that is as inspiring as it is enjoyable. 'Mander Salis' is a grteat listening record. It's not something you'll put on and just have in the background; it's a CD choc-full of emotion and a compelling nature that will demand your attention. Tracks like 'An Honest Misappropriation of Funds' and 'Empires' get things off to a strong start, while 'A Gathering of Shades' is a keeper.
This album progresses well with the mix and layering of the instruments and the solid production. There's a warmth and charm The Weakerthans bring to the table, even if the bands don't sound that much alike. 'The Sun tells The Moon' and 'The Laughing Man' keep up the quality, with Carl Marshall's vocals outstanding on both tracks. This is a CD that kind of came out of nowhere for me, which is certainly one of the perks of the reviewing job. The Snake may not immediately strike out at you, but expect them to slither up and eventually make their presence felt.
www.snakecrosscrown.com
Equal Vision
Paul
