{"product_id":"serpent-the-pit-and-the-pendulum-cd","title":"Serpent - The Pit and the Pendulum - CD","description":"\u003cp\u003eSwedish Melodic Death Metal with occult themes and guitarwork extraordinaire!\u003cbr\u003eThe occult melodic Death Metal band Serpent emerged from Stockholm’s underground metal scene in 2000. Across the ensuing decade, the band cultivated a small,\u003cbr\u003edevoted underground following through six critically acclaimed demo releases.\u003cbr\u003eNow Serpent proudly unveils their long-awaited debut full-length, “The Pit and the Pendulum”, through the legendary metal label Hammerheart Records. The album is\u003cbr\u003ea masterclass in occult melodic Death Metal. Built upon razor-sharp guitar work, haunting melodies and crushing melodic Death Metal intensity, the album takes the\u003cbr\u003elistener on a dark pilgrimage through the occult, the secret rites of clandestine sects, the illicit practices of necromancy, and onward into Edgar Allan Poe’s nightmarish\u003cbr\u003evision of the Spanish Inquisition, rendered with crushing weight and architectural grandeur in the formidable title track “The Pit and The Pendulum”.\u003cbr\u003eThe journey darkens further. In the relentless “Der Hexenjäger” one stands face to face with history’s most infamous Witchfinder General, Matthew Hopkins himself,\u003cbr\u003ebefore being cast as an unwilling witness amid the hysteria and bloodshed of the Salem witch trials of 1692. The record reaches its devastating close as the Black Death\u003cbr\u003e(1347–1351) advances across Europe like a spectral plague, an inexorable, haunting shadow that extinguishes light, hope and life in its path.\u003cbr\u003eThe striking cover artwork, executed by the renowned illustrator Gyula Havancsák (Nile, Kreator, Accept) is far more than mere ornament. It functions as a meticulously\u003cbr\u003ecrafted visual index to the entire album: each of the eight tracks is encoded through subtle symbols, recurring motifs and carefully embedded references woven into the\u003cbr\u003efront cover itself, inviting repeated scrutiny and deeper immersion into the record’s occult narrative.\u003cbr\u003e“The Pit and The Pendulum” stands as a triumphant culmination of more than two decades of underground dedication. For devotees of intelligent, historically charged\u003cbr\u003eand uncompromising occult melodic Death Metal, this is essential listening.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"hidden\"\u003eThis item is available for pre-order. It will be available on 11\/13\/2026. \u003cbr\u003eNotice: orders cannot be split into several shipments. Your order will be dispatched when all items are available.\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Season of Mist - International","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54338410512727,"sku":"P-181455-","price":13.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/6500\/8471\/files\/Serpent-The-Pit-and-the-Pendulum-CD-181455-1-1786696656.jpg?v=1786696711","url":"https:\/\/shop.season-of-mist.com\/products\/serpent-the-pit-and-the-pendulum-cd","provider":"Season of Mist - International","version":"1.0","type":"link"}