Saidan’s Fangdriller: Scars Beneath Memory’s Wrist wasn’t an album I’d initially planned to review, but when my Dear Friend said he wasn’t able to make the time, I carved some out. Brainchild of vocalist/guitarist/bassist Splatterpvnk, Nashville, Tennessee’s Saidan plays black metal at once scathing and ultra-melodic. Visual Kill, and specifically Dear Hollow’s blurb about it, introduced me to Saidan’s charms. Since then, I’ve kept Visual Kill in regular rotation and hotly anticipated their next release. That time is now upon us, and I’ve prepared my body and eardrums for Saidan’s raw, blackened stylings steeped in tunefulness so seductive that I’m left in sonic subjugation. The only task left to us, then, is to explore how deep Fangdriller’s Scars go.

Tangentially or directly, one topic that garners a fair bit of discussion in our beloved blog’s reviews is originality. Considering how clustered some corners of the metalsphere have become,¹ singular identities stand out like a white-hot beacon in the dead of night, and Saidan doubtlessly brings this galvanizing vitality to their music. Conceptually, Fangdriller adds another chapter to Saidan’s narrative conceit, acting as a precursor to Visual Kill and detailing the crippling exile of loneliness that breeds ideal targets for abuse and manipulation. Musically, Fangdriller skews more morose and wistful than the wrath-wrought frenzy of Visual Kill.² While Moonlight Sorcery’s eldritch mystique and Sacramentum’s furious riffstorming ably serve as points of comparison, Stormkeep’s subdued grandeur and 葬火’s³ seething angst whet Fangdriller’s emotional impact to a finer point than its predecessor.

Compared to previous outings, Fangdriller eases off some of the experimental diversity and instead focuses on delivering first-rate compositional cohesion. Saidan’s melodic sensibilities permeate Fangdriller’s runtime, from opening track “Razorblade Temptation” onwards. Trem-picked guitar leads dance across the fretboard as breakcore drum beats and sparkling synth injections swirl within the mix (“Rapture (I’ll Wait for You),” “Kara No Bara”). Where Visual Kill luxuriates in flamboyance, reminding me of Sallow Moth’s Mossbane Lantern, Fangdriller affixes to mood and songwriting. The tension within “Kara No Bara” and “Womb of Hatred” simmers with bombastic builds that explode with the culmination of inexorable pressure, guided by the frantic rhythms of drummer (and only other band member) Hundosai. Each song on Fangdriller sways with relentless tensity and release, but it’s quasi-title track “Stained Glass Sin – Fang Driller” that achieves the supreme compositional masterstroke. Beginning with a slow, ramping maelstrom, the give and take on “Stained Glass Sin…” propel it to the cusp of melodic nirvana, which is when the transcendent solo bushwhacks with full force. Though impressive on their own, the individual components of the song aren’t what shatters expectations⁴—it’s the perfect sequencing to release. And more than any other element Saidan presents, these calculated moments and transitions maximize Fangdriller’s impact throughout.

Along with the expert compositions and performances, Saidan sounds amazing on Fangdriller. While maintaining the typical raw stylings, Splatterpvnk’s every note remains delectably audible despite the background fuzz and hiss. The downside to this production style is that the bottom end is a tad thin, but this hardly registers given that Saidan’s songwriting doesn’t hinge on it. The crude aesthetic is especially evident on final track “Mortuary,” which applies the same treatment as Visual Kill’s somber closer “Suffer” by way of melancholic guitar strumming supporting emo cleans. It makes for a satisfying denouement, and even though “Mortuary” double-dips with this trick, conceptually it tethers the albums to an even greater degree.

Upon listening to Fangdriller as a fan, the potency of Saidan’s refined melodicism immediately stood out. Further treasures revealed themselves after spending even more time with it for my review. Nearly two dozen spins later, I never find my interest waning throughout Fangdriller’s forty-seven minutes. Quite the opposite, as each time “Mortuary” fades, I either restart the album or desire to. Though slightly less gung-ho than its predecessor, what Fangdriller forfeits in balls-out blitzing Saidan recoups in songwriting sophistication. If you haven’t listened to this one yet, you should. Though I liked Fangdriller from the outset, each subsequent spin has solidified my love for it. For anyone skeptical of Saidan’s latest, I encourage a dedicated, active listen—there’s a beautifully constructed album waiting to share its dark secrets with you if you’re brave enough to let it.

Rating: Great!
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Avantgarde Music
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: June 19th, 2026

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