Necromantia is unquestionably a force to be reckoned with in the ever-mercurial genre of black metal. Also, their contribution to the more avant-garde and experimental end of the spectrum cannot be discounted in any way – not to mention the plethora of related acts (Rotting Christ, Thou Art Lord, Diabolos Rising, Yoth Iria, Septic Flesh and many more) that are, if not directly associated with Necromantia through shared members, at least Necromantia-adjacent through production, artwork or other artistic collaborations. And that is what separates The Serpent and the Pentagram: The Official Chronicles of Necromantia from so many other biographical works. Dayal Patterson’s Cult Never Dies or Tero Ikäheimonen’s The Devil’s Cradle are really well-presented investigations into black metal from a ...