Review: The Black Monolith - Wreathed in Serpents, Crowned in Thorns

Artist: The Black Monolith

Album: Wreathed in Serpents, Crowned in Thorns

Label: Noctivagant

Release date: June 2025

When I wrote the review of The Black Monolith's previous album, I ended it by saying that I was eager to see which direction the project would develop in. Little did I know that the new chapter was so soon around the corner, and that I'd be writing another review less than six months later. It's true that the artist behind the project hinted that new things were brewing in the interview we did in Athens in March, but I wasn't expecting it to see the light of day as quickly, especially since a label change took place in the meantime as well. Would the nascent project turn out to be too prolific for its own good, or was a genuinely new creative surge waiting in the shadows to unleash itself upon the world?

I'm happy to report that the latter is definitely the case. While The Black Monolith is as minimalistic and draped in shadows as ever (to the point of omitting even the band logo and the album title from the cover in this instance), Wreathed in Serpents, Crowned in Thorns is a step ahead for the project in virtually every way. As you can guess from the album and track titles, the project remains as loyal to its black metal aesthetic and Thelemic inspiration as ever, but several changes have taken place under the bonnet. The first thing noticeable about the album is the almost complete change in dynamics; while the debut started off with a harsh wall of noise that peeled off layer by layer to reveal its subtler inner core, the sophomore album does the reverse and starts off in a relatively tame way, only to slowly build the intensity to its peak around the midpoint of the album (the numbered tracks, as I've come to call them), and then slowly dissipate back into pitch-black obscurity of the triumphant final track. All the elements that made the debut so great are still present: the ritual ambient atmosphere, subtle rhythmics, pounding bass drones, occasional synths, and liberally but carefully used noise elements that add just enough spice without overwhelming the listener - there's enough flesh on the bones here to cover the whole range of fans from Sunn O))) to Karjalan Sissit. The project continues to espouse its trademark mixture of Greek and English track titles, and while I'm no expert in subject matter, the theme of Wreathed in Serpents, Crowned in Thorns seems to revolve about the occult more than the philosophical this time around, with a corresponding increase in darkness.

Like its predecessor, and despite its rough and occasionally aggressive nature, The Black Monolith's latest album manages to be a journey rather than a threat, and repeated listens uncover a wealth of layers and elements not immediately noticeable upon first listen. That said, it's obvious that there's still a battle of elements and influences taking place inside the creative mind behind the project, and I'd love to see these more evenly distributed throughout the tracks in the future. My personal preferences aside, though, The Black Monolith has bestowed upon us yet another worthwhile album in a span of just six months, proving that the success of the first one was no fluke and that the project has great future potential. I'll be eagerly awaiting its next release, even if it takes more than another six months.

Rating: 8/10