The Serpent's Lair

Byron Metcalf, Steve Roach

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 10, 2000)
• Original Release Date: October 10, 2000
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Projekt Records
• ASIN: B00004Y9XO
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #25,900 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Ambient explorer Roach and percussionist Metcalf originally began this as an experiment into the effects of breathwork and the use of sound on a person "as a shamanic strategy for healing, personal growth, and transformation." The successful effects their music had in group settings were extended into these compositions. While billed as a collaboration between the two men, The Serpent's Lair also features contributions by (deep breath) violinist Vicki Richards, overtone vocalist Jim Cole, pre-Hispanic sound sorcerer Jorge Reyes, singer Lena Stevens, synthesist Vidna Obmana, "groove alchemist" Vir Unis, and djembe players Jeffrey Fayman and Momodu "Mohammad" Kah. The two discs in this package act as yin and yang--the eight parts of the first disc, "The Serpent's Lair," highlight intoxicatingly hypnotic drum rhythms slicing through churning ambient spaces, while the seven cuts that make up the second disc, "Offerings from the Underworld," travel down darker, spacier streams with subtle rhythms, reverberant vocals, and exotic aerophones caressing and riding the ethereal aural waves. This invigorating combination of musicians invents a dynamic new perspective on Roach's trademark deep-listening forays. It would be wonderful to hear more collaborations like this. --Bryan Reesman

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A rich and pleasing experience, April 8, 2002

By	G-Dexter (Lakewood, NY United States) - See all my reviews

I never cease to be amazed by the many ways Steve Roach can weave a web. I mean, in how many different directions can one man go with long, ambient, atmospheric pieces almost totally devoid of melody? Evidently, in more ways than I can count.

In collaboration with Byron Metcalf and a host of others, the list of which reads like a veritable Who's Who of prominent ambient musicians, Roach provides a sense of tribal mysticism with those long ethereal passages we've come to associate with his work. THE SERPENT'S LAIR is a rich blend of soothing tones, hypnotic tribal beats and some lovely vocal passages (a rarity in Roach compositions).

Although I am a huge Steve Roach fan, owning most of his CD's -I was hesitant to purchase this Disc; now I'm sorry I waited so long to buy it. My fear was an overemphasis of the percussion aspects of the compositions over the soothing atmospherics and the sense of exploration I associate with his music. (I've been disappointed with these collaborations before, namely with DUST TO DUST, an album that I've never really liked.) I need not have worried - this double CD is rich and complex, and is a brilliant example of Steve Roach's ever evolving talent. In some ways, it reminds me a bit of Michael Stearns THE LOST WORLD, another brilliant work and artist that I highly recommend.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Trance Tape, August 27, 2001

By	K. N. Nelson "Psychologist" (California, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Yet, I for one am a little tired of the continued use of long synthesizer washes that go on and on and sound, after a while, a bit like almost every other album this wonderful artist has created. Without a doubt, Steve Roach is one of my favorites and I always find myself willing to spend the money on one of his CDs. But, again, I do wish he would head in a different direction for awhile and show us his chops in new and more lyrical ways. For me the best Steve Roach album is "Strata" which he did with Robert Rich whose keyboard skills added a lot of energy to that album. Steve's catalog is significant and one can be hard pressed to choose from such a vast body of work. For me, "The Serpent's Lair" does remind me of "Dreamtime Revisited" and of the two CDs in this collection, I prefer the second one titled "Offerings from the Underworld". There is more much more of interest here with vocal tracks adding a lot of "presence" to the percussive and synth washes. The contributing musicians are very much attuned to the spirit of this music, especially Jorge Reyes. As a psychologist myself, I respect Dr. Metcalf's research in the Shamanic historical use of trance inducing percussion to facilitate the process of guiding a person toward deeper inner awareness and, hopefully, the exquisite beauty of personal transformation into a more balanced being. This album certainly is perfect for those types of inner explorations. Personally, as a musician (my other hat)I did not find his drumming "processed" although I can bet it was edited and looped. But then, I could be wrong and Steve may have quantized during mixdown for he is so great at the mixing board. He never overdoes reverb and yet there is such depth to his music in this collection that one can imagine being in a huge cavern with others dancing around a firepit and casting shadow pictures onto the cave walls for that is how visual these songs actually are while being driven by percussive repetition that is so important in maintaining consistent trance levels to reach the height of the transformative experience. This body of work is so hypnotic that I really wouldn't mind what Steve did while mastering this CD. The sounds are crystal clear and one suspects he recorded directly to hard disc for there is zero tape noise or other distracting artifacts. All in all I like this album and enjoy playing it before bedtime to relax and mellow out.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional, October 17, 2000

By	D.M.K "smart reader" (Las Vegas, Nevada United States) - See all my reviews

Being a longtime Steve Roach fan and owning all his releases I must say this is one of the best of the recent releases. I find this Cd being listened to over and over and it creates a great trance. Each track is differnt and exciting