Rosetta West Strikes with Venom and Virtuosity on “Snake 25”!
- Esther
- May 4
- 3 min read
The first time I played "Snake 25", I didn’t know what hit me. Six minutes later, I sat still, headphones off, a little rattled, a little awestruck, and absolutely ready to hit play again. Rosetta West, a fiercely independent blues rock band hailing from the deep underground of Illinois, has been quietly (and loudly) bending the edges of genre for years. Psychedelia, world folk, mystical lyricism, it’s all part of their toolkit. But with "Snake 25," they’ve delivered one of their most ambitious and arresting works to date, a six-minute sonic journey that begins in whispered storytelling and ends in full-blown rock catharsis. It’s a song that crawls into your bones, unfurls its story slowly, and then explodes in a blaze of sound and spirit, but Rosetta West isn’t your average band. And this isn’t just any song. It’s a baptism by fire. Let’s rewind!
"Snake 25" is about betrayal that is spiritual, personal, and psychological. The lyrics read like a confession scrawled in candlelight, blending raw personal emotion with Gnostic references that elevate the narrative into something almost mythic. The “snake” of the title isn’t just a biblical villain or Jungian symbol, it’s you, it’s me, it’s the double-crossing voice inside that whispers, this is just who I am. The opening is deceptive: a dusky, folk-tinged guitar melody weaves a soft, haunted intro, recalling early Zeppelin or even a more shadowy Fairport Convention. It’s delicate but charged. Joseph Demagore’s voice enters with quiet weight, singing like someone turning pages of an old diary, each verse wrapped in remorse, resentment, and reluctant acceptance. There’s no rushing here. The band lets the mood simmer.
Then, around the 1:55 mark, things shift dramatically. The guitar tone sharpens, the drums kick in with a primal stomp, and suddenly you’re no longer listening to a lament, you’re in a storm. The vocals growl and wail, feral but controlled, as if the song has slipped its leash. It’s catharsis, yes, but it’s also calculated. Jason X’s bass and keyboard textures anchor the chaos, while Jay, Joe Ritscherle, and Nathan Q. Scratch’s drumming/percussion feels almost tribal, pacing the drama like a ritual march. Then comes the moment that seals it all: the guitar solo around 3:30. Nearly a minute long, it doesn’t just shred, it sings. It's bluesy, psychedelic, and strangely narrative, like the guitar itself is retelling the story, but this time without words. The spirit of Hendrix lingers here, but so does the emotional gravity of David Gilmour. This isn’t showboating, it’s exorcism. But Rosetta West isn’t done yet. After the maelstrom, the song slows again. A bridge appears like a break in the clouds, and then almost like the beginning, the opening guitar theme returns, now worn but wiser. The outro mirrors the intro, but it feels changed. Scarred. Survived. That’s the brilliance of "Snake 25", it doesn’t just end, it resolves.
The beauty here is in the contradiction. The song is both furious and fragile. It’s built on blues rock, but it lives in a psychological space somewhere between a confession booth and a battlefield. And that duality, that refusal to be easily labeled, is what makes Rosetta West such an anomaly in today’s music landscape. They’re not trying to fit into algorithms. They’re trying to say something. And in "Snake 25," they say it loud. Each sonic layer from the ghostly keys to the roaring lead guitar has been meticulously placed. There’s an organic chemistry between Joe and Jay that feels rare and real, made even more powerful by the elusive, camera-shy Nathan Q. Scratch on drums. This is a band that thrives on mystique, but never at the expense of precision. So if you’re tired of sugar-coated singles and craving something with teeth, let “Snake 25” sink in. Let it bite, burn, and bleed its way through your headphones. Rosetta West is crafting myth. Hit play, strap in, and join the cult. You won’t leave the same. Listen below!
Listen to "Snake 25" on #Spotify below -
You can check out and follow Rosetta West's musical journey and support them on Bandcamp here : https://rosettawest.bandcamp.com
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