REVIEW: PIEL DE SERPIENTE – Inevitable

 

PIEL DE SERPIENTE – Inevitable (2011)

Pure Rock Records

I knew the band’s name, as I had heard people in the underground scene mentioning PIEL DE SERPIENTE and comparing them to TIERRA SANTA. Until now, however, I had never actually listened to them, and Inevitable is their third album. Having finally given it a listen, I have to say that, apart from the use of the Spanish language, I don’t find that the band has that much in common with TIERRA SANTA.

PIEL DE SERPIENTE’s sound balances somewhere between ’80s hard rock and traditional heavy metal — the kind of style we usually describe as hard ’n’ heavy. So, if names like PRETTY MAIDS and PINK CREAM 69 come to mind, along with more metal-oriented influences such as ACCEPT and IRON MAIDEN, then you are on the right track. This is the musical territory in which PIEL DE SERPIENTE operate.

Overall, Inevitable is a very enjoyable album, although there are a few exceptions. “El Umbral,” for example, is simply too happy, cheesy and predictable for my taste. It sounds like the kind of song that was written with radio airplay in mind. Fortunately, the album has enough strong material to compensate for moments like this.

Among the highlights, I would definitely mention “Rabia,” “Sangre” — which does, indeed, bring TIERRA SANTA to mind — “Inevitable,” the excellent “Ronnie James,” and “Sueños Perdidos.” These are the songs that really show what PIEL DE SERPIENTE are capable of when they combine their melodic side with their heavier influences.

If you don’t have a problem with a band singing entirely in Spanish, then Inevitable is certainly worth checking out. It is a good, passionate and fresh hard ’n’ heavy album, and another interesting example of how the classic ’80s sound can still find a place in today’s underground scene.

Nick Parastatidis