Dorthia Cottrell, vocalist of Richmond, Virgina's doom metal quartet Windhand, has dropped another single, "Take Up Serpents," from her forthcoming solo album, Death Folk Country, which is due April 21 courtesy of Relapse Records. You can check it out just below.
According to a press release, the title "Take Up Serpents" is a reference from the bible, from the Book of Mark, 16:18: "They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”
Cottrell also provided additional background, saying that “Even though I don’t consider myself a religious person, I do believe that there are forces beyond current human understanding.
"I think we interact with those forces and they have an effect on us. This verse always stood out to me; I think love and faith in the unseen are deeply connected. I always thought this verse perfectly described the kind of omnipotent power that Love is, and how it can inspire such a faith and devotion that can reframe reality.”
"Take Up Serpents" has a very dark Mark Lanegan vibe that continues with the motif of what we know so far about Death Folk Country. Back in March, Cottrell revealed the album's first single single "Family Annihilator" alongside a bloody music video directed by Richard Francisco Howard and Jonathan Howard.
About her new LP, Cottrell has said, "This album to me is about painting a picture of a place where my heart lives. The title Death Folk Country is partly me describing a genre that fits the sound – but it's also meant to be taken as a Naming, a coronation of the world inside me. Death Folk Country is the music and also the land where the music takes place, and the two have always been inextricable from each other."
Pre-orders for Death Folk Country are available here. Last year, Cottrell performed a handful of solo dates opening for Monolord. While there's no word yet if Cottrell will tour on her own to support the album, a release party is being held at the Black Cat in Washington, DC on April 20. For tickets and other information, you can visit here.
