Sea of Snakes - "Bow to No One"
Sea of Snakes is stoner/doom metal band from Los Angeles who is known for their doomy riffs combined with stoner grit and powerful, grunge-tinted vocals. The band has been releasing music under the Sea of Snakes moniker since 2021, beginning with their debut EP World on Fire. Their first full-length album, The Serpent and the Lamb, followed in 2022. After a year-long break and a lineup change, Sea of Snakes got right to work on their heaviest tunes to date with their second full-length album Bow to No One, released on November 4, 2024.
Vocalist Jason Busiek provides some insight into Bow to No One and the evolution of the band's sound:
"The first album 'The Serpent and the Lamb' was about being loud and free in our music, but we now embrace our true identity as a doom band. The new album 'Bow to No One' is booming, fuzz-laden, and features sludgy guitar riffs, thunderous drums, and powerfully grungy vocals.
We aimed to make a heavy album that takes people on a sonic journey with haunting melodies. The album was a conscious effort to get a heavier, doomier sound along with a new drummer and bass player which added a new flavor. We spent a lot of time on their initial recording, then worked with Matt Lynch at Mysterious Mammal Recording Studio to put the finishing touches to make this album dynamic with all of the ebb and flow to keep in interesting."
I first heard Sea of Snakes via The Serpent and the Lamb in the summer of 2023 and was immediately enamored with the sound I heard. If you know anything at all about my musical tastes, this is far from surprising. I'm a grunge fan at heart with a fondness for doom riffs and stoner rock, and Sea of Snakes checks all of those boxes and then some. So, when the band informed me that they were working on new material, I waited on pins and needles for news of new music. Sea of Snakes graciously released three outstanding singles from Bow to No One prior to its release date, each one creating more anticipation and excitement than the last. Now, I'm pleased to inform you that the wait is over, Bow to No One is here, and it DOOMS.
Bow to No One
1.) 1313
1313 was love at practically the first note for me; I instantly knew it would be my favorite song on the album. It enters right out of the gate with crushing doom riffage and vocals to match: heart-wrenching, haunting, and almost mournful in tone, this is the most emotive singing on the album...the kind of stuff that gives you goosebumps. Every element of the song feels amplified to me: the fuzziness, the thickness of the riffs, the stormy drums, the crawling bass, the guitar solos striking like hot lightning...1313 is beautifully intense and utterly tempestuous.
2.) Crack The Whip
Crack The Whip is hypnotically sultry with some great vocal harmonies in the choruses, but it ends on an almost menacing note. While you could call this song "kinky" at face value, I can't help but be reminded of the cyclical nature of toxic relationships, going back and forth between the "pleasure and the pain".
3.) Slo Failure
"Yessss!" I hissed out loud as the opening riffs of Slo Failure ripped through my headphones. This is Sea of Snakes! The vocal style here reminds me a bit of the one used on 1313, although it's less emotive on Slo Failure and more blatant in being darkly soul-stirring. The reverberation of the slow and heavy guitar behind these vocals is to die for. In short, this is a dark and winding track that will rattle your insides.
4.) Kill Hate Love
Kill Hate Love combines doom with grunge and the assertiveness of heavy metal. The resulting sound calls to mind some of the earliest bands from the Seattle grunge scene with remnants of 80s punk and heavy metal tones still lingering in their sound, such as some of the heavier tracks on Soundgarden's Ultramega as well as the darker, metal inclinations of Gruntruck. Of course, the tones Sea of Snakes provides here are infinitely heavier (and darker) than that, but you get the idea.
5.) Black Hymn
Black Hymn is another track that gives you the best of several heavy worlds. It's equal parts murky grunge and ripping, fuzzy stoner riffs, and it flows and echoes like doom. Some soaring guitar solos, a bit of swagger in the vocals, and the sheer power of the song give more nods to heavy metal as well. Best of all, this is all combined seamlessly. Sea of Snakes is not a band that makes you wonder as you're listening, "Is this doom? Or grunge? Or maybe stoner?" You won't even think about that, because this is just damn good heavy music. Black Hymn is a great example of just that.
6.) Below the Water
Below the Water was the third and final single released from Bow to No One. While this track still has plenty of doom attitude, some crunchier guitar really brightens up the music. The vocals really shine here, reflecting off of the weighty riffs and showcasing impressive range and endurance, reminding me how well grunge vocals pair with metal music.
The official visualizer video for "Below the Water"
7.) Martyr of the Son
Martyr of the Son boasts a wicked, buzzing and spiraling dominant riff. The vocals have an almost facetious 90s alt rock attitude, and this combined with wailing guitar solos and distortion in the last half of the song give it an alternative metal feel that Sea of Snakes executes perfectly. The cries of "Why? Why have you forsaken me?!"at the very end are the icing on the cake.
8.) Passenger
Passenger was the first single the band released from the album back in April 2024. As soon as I heard it, I immediately (and excitedly) sensed that Sea of Snakes was moving in a much heavier direction this time. Passenger is doom in every sense of the word: low and slow, trudging, thick and hazy. And of course those killer vocals add infinitely more to the haunting tone of the music, echoing among the lumbering riffs. A certain spiraling quality gives Passenger a very sensual occult vibe as well; delicious, evil temptation.
9.) Tempest
Tempest was the second and my personal favorite of the wave of singles Sea of Snakes released from Bow to No One. From the very first measure, Tempest has a clear infectiousness and a ton of swagger to go along with the doom. This is another song that leans a bit harder into grunge/heavy rock territory, breaking up some of the darker and more serious tracks on Bow to No One and showing another great side of the band that I really appreciate.
10.) Devil Inside You
Devil Inside You ends the album in an epic way and is a great showcase of everything Sea of Snakes does best, including the heightened intensity they bring to Bow to No One. My favorite thing about this ultra heavy, hard rocking yet lurching rack are the earth-shattering, pulsing riffs as the song ends amid cries of "God help me!" Devil Inside You ends abruptly, seemingly too soon, leaving you more than ready to press play on Bow to No One again...and again...
Final Thoughts
First of all: WOW. I'm sitting here a bit floored, unsure of where to start with my praise of this slab of heavy greatness, but I'll try my best.
One of the most noticeable things about Bow to No One right off the bat is that it IS a much heavier version of Sea of Snakes, and man...it's SO good. As we all are well aware, changes such as this can either help or hurt a band and in this case, it not only helps, but it just feels right. You can hear in the band's sound that this burlier tone is a very natural place for them, and I'm so glad that they found their niche.
Historically, Sea of Snakes have always been just as skilled at creating heavy metal-infused grunge ear worms as they are viscous and wicked doom, and this holds true on Bow to No One. Among the heftier doom moments, you have nearly as many salutes to grunge, alternative, and a more classic style of heavy metal. It's great to see that the band is continuing to utilize these other styles, keeping them not only as a mainstay in their arsenal but as a true tribute to some of their beloved musical influences.
Of course, we have to talk about those powerful, hypnotic, and adaptive vocals. Now, I try to avoid making comparisons when I can, but in this case, I think it's a massive compliment to say that the uncanny resemblance of Jason's vocals to those of the late Layne Stayley works SO well with what Sea of Snakes is doing. I'm sure the vast majority of you are quite familiar with Alice in Chains, and are well aware that Layne's vocals truly embodied that "haunting" quality we reviewers like to talk about all the time, more so than any rock vocalist on the planet in my personal opinion. Many Alice in Chains songs are quite dark both in lyrics and overall mood. With that said, it's not illogical at all to imagine AIC as a metal or doom band, and that's how I view Sea of Snakes. This is a band that takes that darkness, heavy subject matter, and honesty that grunge and alternative rock bravely explored in the 90s and puts an even weightier spin on it.
Finally, I certainly don't want to make light of the equally versatile instrumentals. They keep the massiveness of doom going with a sinister momentum, providing a backbone of the stuff even on some of the more rock-focused songs. To me, this reads as the doom heart and soul of Sea of Snakes being ever-present in their music, no matter which direction it goes.
With all that said, Bow to No One is essentially perfection. In a single phrase: For me, this IS heavy music.
More About Sea of Snakes
Sea of Snakes Is:
Chris Lowbridge - Drums
Greg Noriega - Bass
Jim McCloskey - Guitar
Jason Busiek - Vocals
You can follow Sea of Snakes and listen to their music at the following links:
A massive thank you to the band and Glory or Death Records for the promo!
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