It’s hard to know what to say about this album, but that probably says more than anything. Serpent’s Embrace, the 2004 release from German goth-rockers Agathodaimon, is definitely…the album they released in 2004. That’s about as exciting as it gets. It’s really gothic, in that it sounds like what they probably imagine vampires listen to. It’s pretty dark in that there are lots of growly vocal timbres and distorted guitar. They also throw in some synth effects to add a sense of melodrama and a healthy dose of double-bass to give it that bit of extra power.



But somehow, the whole thing just fails to make an impression. All the pieces are there, they just don’t combine to create anything you’re going to remember 10 minutes after you shut off the CD player. Or 10 minutes before, if you’re really not paying attention.



It seems like the problem is that there is just too much emphasis on the surface textures and not enough on the passion and craftsmanship that underlie good music. In fairness, a lot of the surface texture works pretty well. Right off the bat, the first track on the disk, "Cellos for the Insatiable" starts with ominous, muted, ambient synth lines before tearing into some good old-fashioned speed metal. This momentum keeps up for a few tracks, but by the time you get to the furious double-bass and harsh vocal textures of "The Darkness Inside" (track 8), you're starting to wonder when they're going to dig a little deeper into this thing that they've created.

By all appearances, Agathodaimon are trying to create romance-influenced goth metal, and in that they’ve succeeded. The band is certianly experienced enough - founding members Matthias and Sathonys started the whole thing in September of 1995. But with mostly lackluster riffs, awkward transitions, and no hooks to speak of, that façade, well-polished and time-tested though it may be, doesn’t have much to support it. It’s just all too self-conscious.



It’s not fair to say that Agathodaimon don’t have potential. They’re only a few steps away from putting together a really good sound if they’d stop trying so danged hard and learn to simply play music. It's never too late to start, of course, but until they do, don’t be surprised if they remain a happy little demon that you have to love for trying, but just isn’t quite intense enough to really take seriously.