Location: Denver, Colorado
Country: USA
Genre: Sludge/doom metal
Full length: A Crack in Everything
Format: Digital album, digipak CD, deluxe vinyl set (ltd. 100 copies on gold on black vinyl), standard vinyl (ltd. 400 copies on white on black vinyl
Label: Independent
Release date: July 11, 2025
“There’s someone in my head, but it’s not me.” – Pink Floyd, “Brain Damage”
Grant Netzorg, the guitarist and vocalist of In the Company of Serpents, characterizes "A Crack in Everything" as a ritualistic endeavor of severing ties with unwanted aspects of oneself which are imagined as a grotesque entity. It represents a form of severing and banishing to heal internal wounds. This can also be interpreted as a metaphysical disconnection from external influences to reclaim one’s true self. In certain respects, this idea equally relates to the inspiration underlying the album.
While bands typically use darkness as a positive metaphor, In the Company of Serpents utilizes light as a means to eliminate personal negativity or harmful habits. It permits light to enter through even the tiniest gaps, enabling it to illuminate shadowy spaces, thus allowing you to overcome what hinders you during your darkest times and reclaim your inner strength.
The metaphysical notion of light, as stated by Netzorg, has consistently appeared in several releases by the band. The sources of inspiration range has a diverse range from Leonard Cohen’s "Anthem" and Captain Beefheart’s "Moonlight On Vermont" to the intricate theology explored in the Kabbalah. While composing "A Crack in Everything" amidst his personal battle with alcoholism, he channeled the despair and anguish typically linked to this struggle into a traditional performance in which personal demons are expelled and redemption is achieved.
The storyline is as unconventional as it is conventional; the music created by the band serves as a raw amalgamation of sludge metal and spaghetti western soundtracks. It heavily depends on roughness and sharpness to convey the conflict depicted in the lyrics. By blending one influence with a gritty edge and the other with greater depth and ambiance, it provides an appropriate backdrop to the realistic struggle portrayed in the verses and the powerful vocals that articulate it.
In an interview with The Chill Dude on the Couch, Netzorg discloses his broad appreciation for music (Neurosis, Swans, Yob), spanning genres such as doom metal, post-metal, and black metal. He occasionally integrates dissonant tremolo sections into his compositions to enhance the chaotic nature of the music. Furthermore, the spirit of spaghetti western soundtracks significantly contributes to elevating the doom and metal aspects of this recording, transforming it into a vibrant and richly textured painting.
"A Crack in Everything" is a highly personal album that makes numerous bold choices to distinguish itself from other doom and sludge bands. And in contrast to a mere warning regarding forthcoming occurrences, it actively contributes to a positive conclusion characterized by personal success rather than global defeat and destruction. -Dave Wolff
Lineup:
Grant Netzorg: Vocals, guitars
Ben Pitts: Bass, lap steel
Andy Thomas: Drums
Guests:
Jeff Owens (Goya): Backing vocals on "Endless Well"
David Thomas Baily: Upright bass
Mike Swarbrick: Bells
Track list:
1. Don't Look in the Mirror
2. A Patchwork Art
3. Delirium
4. Cinders
5. Endless Well
6. Buzzard Logic
7. Tremens
8. Until Death Darkens Our Door
9. Ghosts on the Periphery
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