Album Review: Battlesnake – Dawn Of The Exultants And The Hunt For The Shepherd (Self Released)

Maverick Aussie rockers Battlesnake return with their triumphant new album ‘Dawn of the Exultants and the Hunt for the Shepherd’, which will be released on June 6th, 2025.

Heavy metal with fantastical storytelling aspects, Battlesnake’s new album is all kinds of weird and all kinds of wonderful, and most will be captivated by it, provided there is a willingness to open the mind and experience something quite unique. Where classic metal soundscapes meet eccentric progressive and psychedelic flair, you’ll find Battlesnake, so expect to be challenged.

Setting the storytelling bar at a very high point with a cinematic intro called Dawn of the Exultant, Battlesnake then ease the listener into the album properly with an exciting oddball of enigmatic noise called The Fathers of Iron Flesh. The psych-tinged rock rhythm is cool, but it’s the flare-ups of heavier intensity that makes this one special. Although, as far as imagination goes, it pales in comparison to the following Sheperd Hunter. Where Battlesnake let their classic heavy metal ways take control but still find clever ways to make it more of an addictive listen with a classy chorus, effective moments of power, and an ever-developing structure that sees it end in disconcerting fashion. It’s one of the most creative, and best, songs on the album.

Let’s not forget the story telling though, which does give us consistently strong lyrics, and short, interesting intermissions like Beelzebug’s Nativity, which leads into the grin-inducing head banger that is Beelzebug II. Intentional or not, I can’t help but think of At Doom’s Gate when listening to this track. Is it just me? Regardless, it’s great and not just because the chorus is such a singalong. It’s an aspect of Battlesnake that is easy to forget about as there is often so much going on in a track, but they quickly remind you of their anthemic ways. Which is the case, once again, with the madcap antics of Murder Machine. This is the band at their weirdest.

As the album enters its latter stage, Battlesnake continue to surprise, and delight. First, by delivering a short and highly atmospheric piece called Fowl of the South, utilising bagpipes in dramatic fashion. Then by stimulating the senses with the punchy Sanctum Robotos, where the bagpipes reappear for a truly epic sounding chorus. Before the final intermission, The Borning of the Golden God, sets up the retro rocking brilliance that is the penultimate track, Aurous Automatic. If you were addicted to Battlesnake’s sound in the first half of the album, this second half will have you worshiping at the alter of heavy freaking metal, albeit warped by a very creative band.

Then, just like that, it’s over. Moto Exordium is the finale, and at nearly seven-minutes in length, it’s a grand finale. Melodramatic and melancholic in places, cinematic and ambient in others, with moments of power, and just the right of psychedelic infusions to make it feel so damn dreamy. It’s the kind of track you close your eyes to, feel your body sway, and let your mind wander as you prepare to start the whole thing over again, and trust me, you will.

Battlesnake – Dawn of the Exultants and the Hunt for the Shepherd Track Listing:

1. Dawn of the Exultants
2. The Fathers of Iron Flesh
3. Shepherd Hunter
4. Beelzebug’s Nativity
5. Beelzebug II
6. Murder Machine
7. Fowl of the South
8. Sanctum Robotos
9. The Borning of the Golden God
10. Aurous Automatic
11. Moto Exordium

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