Manchester newcomers SerpentS are a four-piece made up of Eli, Cerys, Josh and Kian. They made their debut last July with “Nerve” and are already working on their first EP, Let Loose & Join A Cult, due in early 2027. Their third single, Wetter Than Revenge, mixes the punch of hard rock with the cheek of rowdy rock ’n’ roll.
The song is a blast of modern hard rock, with distorted guitars, a relentless and seriously catchy riff, explosive drums and a chorus that gets stuck in your head from the first listen. Their big, polished sound might bring Halestorm to mind, but the riff, and above all Eli’s attitude, take us straight back to Joan Jett & The Blackhearts’ “I Love Rock ’n’ Roll”. There’s something both mocking and defiant about Eli’s delivery, as if she’s laughing at us.
The band take a toxic relationship and turn it into a revenge fantasy. The pain gives way to the urge to take back control. Amid macabre imagery, self-destructive impulses and sexual provocation, Eli treats her rage like a game and clearly has a blast doing it. Far from simply angry, she seems to relish playing the villain.
Three singles in, SerpentS are already giving us plenty to get excited about. On 14 November they play their first headline show at Soup in their hometown of Manchester. If they keep this up, they’ll remind us how much fun rock ’n’ roll can be when it’s loud, cheeky and a little bit wild.
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