Shrike, a three-piece metal band from Preston, the “wettest” city in England, is set to reshape the underground modern metal landscape with their debut album release in 2025.
Titled “The Divine and the Serpentine”, this long player not only showcases their unique sound — a rich blend of ambient, cinematic, and orchestral textures — but also delves into deep thematic content through a “semi” concept album exploring the complexities of abusive relationships.
Produced in collaboration with Lucas Fletcher of Blanket, who contributed to the vocals and mixing, and Connor Sweeney, formerly of Loathe, “The Divine and the Serpentine” reflects a four-year journey of resilience and artistic evolution. The recording was mastered by Grant Berry (Employed To Serve, Deaf Havana), with final mixes completed at Shell City Studios, ensuring high-quality production. This release is significant for both its innovative approach to metal and its compelling narrative, making it a powerful story for the metal community and beyond.
Each song on “The Divine and the Serpentine” weaves personal experiences with broader themes, providing insights into the challenges of addiction, recovery, and overcoming psychological trauma. Tracks like “Ebb and Flow (This Will Never End)” and “The Sinner in Saint’s Regalia” vividly portray the emotional weight of supporting someone through addiction and the intense feelings surrounding suicidal thoughts. Meanwhile, “Serpentine” is loosely based on the story of Medusa, as a metaphor for mob mentality, black and white thinking, one-sided dogmatic thinking, and overly virtuous thinking, often from people who are simply projecting to feel better about themselves, while “Plagues Confide Through Masquerade” delves into the raw turmoil of narcissistic abuse.
“This album was the end product of four years. Sleepless nights, anxiety attacks, and a million other roadblocks along the way. Memories: pristine and tarnished. Lost connections along with gained ones. Struggling through a global pandemic as well as emotionally developing as a human to the best of our abilities. This, is where all of these things have been channeled emotionally. A ‘semi’ concept album, split in two parts. it discusses themes and the effects of abusive forms of all relationships (romantic, friends, business partners, parent/child, kinship etc.) all the emotions linked to being on the receiving end but also the self reflection of our own behaviours and how we may perhaps be ones whom also need to atone for the way we treat people”, says Liam Shaw.
“The Divine and the Serpentine” highlights Shrike’s musical versatility and their commitment to carefully addressing tough topics with raw honesty and compassion. With top-tier production and a compelling narrative woven into each track, Shrike’s debut album is an essential listen for anyone passionate about the future of metal music.
“The Divine and the Serpentine” is released on February 21st, 2025.
Tracklist:
01. Divine
02. Ebb and Flow (This Will Never End)
03. Reconstruction
04. CXVIII
05. An Infinite Debt
06. The Sinner in Saint’s Regalia
07. Divine, Pt. II
08. Serpentine
09. The Riverbank
10. Plagues Confide Through Masquerade
11. O’ Father Time
12. In Pursuit of the Witch
13. No One Knows (QOTSA Cover)
Line-up:
Liam Shaw – Guitar, Vocals
Ste Byrne – Drums
Danny Greenwood – Guitar
