THE SERPENT & THE SPHERE

If it weren't for a fairly disappointing album opener and a few slower moments, this would be yet another five-star Agalloch album for me. Truthfully, I feel that The Serpent and the Sphere might just be Agalloch's most sophisticated and mature release to date, and not just because it happens to be their most recent (and regrettably, last). For me, I hear a band truly coming into its own on this record. The riffs are tighter, the bass is more influential, the drumming is more musical, and there is a real sense of melody holding the entire album together. This is a beautifully coherent piece, and it is something I think the band should be immensely proud of as their last work together. The album is sure to please any die-hard Agalloch fan (like myself), but there are also several surprises here. Two acoustic interludes, although a bit too long in my opinion, tie the album together nicely, and the band cleverly chooses to close out the album in instrumental fashion, a welcome surprise and one that makes total sense in light of the album's concept of infinity and creation. I will be mourning the loss of this band for quite some time.