Oooh weird proggy metal with a lady singer saying what sounds like a bunch of Latin. This week it’s Matri Deorum from Serpent Rider. This band’s from Los Angeles and pulled their name from a Manilla Road lyric, which can give you a good vibe on what they’re putting out.

The song kicks off with some operatic singing, like she’s trying to channel the oracle at Delphi or something. I know she’s saying actual stuff, but the Latin really makes me think of that video game Sacred 2 – Fallen Angel, featuring none other than Blind Guardian. Combined with the tone of the music, it’s a little foreboding and fun. The heavy syncopation during the guitar solos reminds me of some of Slough Feg’s work, too. Legit solos all around. The song closes with the singer harmonizing with one of the dudes in the band, and kind of ends abruptly, but it’s still pretty legit.

It’s a lyric video, so you can follow along to all the Galilean and Patrimonious and Romulean things going on in there. When they got to the Romulean part I really thought they were singing about Star Trek. That’d be pretty rad. I think I did a Friday Morning metal a while back about a Star Trek themed band. Gotta check them out again.

Hoc igitur cantu fruere, deinde tuo proximo oraculo gratias agere fac. Vel Iovi taurum immolabis.