I have always liked Ringworm, they write awesome, raw crossover music, which is in my opinion, a bit rare these days. I have not actively pursued Ringworm’s new music in the past, so I wasn’t quite sure how Snake Church would stack up to my favorite’s Birth Is Pain or Justice Replaced by Revenge, but it definitely delivers.

Snake Church is a blistering metalcore record from beginning to end; it has all of the critical Ringworm staples any fan of the band would expect. It has fast and catchy thrash verses that would make Kerry King jealous, droney build ups, crushing breakdowns, and all topped off by vocalist Human Furnaces’ stand out growl. I’ll be blunt; Snake Church is a great record.

Ringworm have done a fantastic job of expertly moving between hardcore and metal, huge breakdowns, chugging two steps, with the vibe of thrash and even a blast beat here and there for good measure. The over all theme of the record is a dark and occult vibe, which is not an unexpected route for the band. Above all, it is angry, Human Furnace does a fantastic job of providing a voice that truly sounds like he is losing it on someone, as well as fronting a metal band. “Shades of Blue” is contender for my favorite track, providing a slow build-up into an eerie, mosh-laden chorus. To be perfectly clear, the song makes me want to smash everything in sight.

Ringworm has managed to avoid droning on too long, which I sometimes find to be a problem with some metal bands, and particularly some other Relapse records releases. Snake Church is long enough to keep me satisfied, but not too long that it starts to bore me. I find myself wanting to make repeat listens, which is a huge win as far as metal is concerned.

If you’ve picked up a Ringworm record in the past and enjoyed it, Snake Church is for you. It is heavy, it is angry; it is Ringworm to a “T”. This is another Ringworm release that will please much of the metal and hardcore community alike, and that is no easy feat. A possible contender for metal record of the year? I guess we have a few more months to find out. Go pick up this record, you won’t be disappointed.