_Serpentine Path_ is the 2012 full-length debut, following an EP. The band seems dead set on making proper introductions. Rather than continue the work of Unearthly Trance under a new moniker, Serpentine Path travels further along the horizon, embracing a warm tone of death. Instead of moody violent occultism, Serpentine Path, in both album and band, open themselves up to a more timeless dread. This is death/doom for the eons and the ages.

Bagshaw's guitar tone is unmistakably a part of the Electric Wizard universe. Despite Bagshaw playing bass in said band, Serpentine Path's tone glows in the sound of golden era Electric Wizard. Much like the cover done by the talented Orion Landau, Serpentine Path radiates haze and desolation. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this record and how well a death/doom record could sound. To reach the sort of ruin proposed by the band, the tempo needs to crawl, claw, and slither against the cracked earth.

Serpentine Path does more than its share of impressive introductions with this record. The band does a tremendous job at nodding to their own path while focusing on future gain. For the amount of weight given to their listener, the song lengths are reasonable, never passing seven minutes. While someone could certainly balk at the notion of respite, the condensed lengths make everything more enjoyable. I mean, we are still having fun with this, right?

Serpentine Path is a band with a clear idea of where they want to go in the future. One of the most effective songs on the record is "Aphelion", a mid-tempo neckbreaker which nostalgically nods to the band's sludge days. I could think of no other song which captures the essence of this record. At the furthest point away from the sun, there exists a sense of cosmic hopelessness. In the absence of light, there only exists fear and darkness. If I were to hazard a guess on what this would sound like, I think I know the perfect band.