Serenity – Nemesis AD
Serenity – Nemesis AD
Napalm Records
Release Date: 03/11/23
Running Time: 45:19
Review by Oli Gonzalez
8/10
Have you ever discovered a band and thought ‘wow, where have you been all my life?’. That was my gut reaction when I first laid ears onto Serenity! See, I’ve always had a soft spot for the Symphonic and Power side of Metal. Whether it was the epic story telling of Pyramaze, attending a history lesson with Sabaton (I’m actually wearing a Sabaton sweater as I type this), or failing miserably to learn to play DragonForce’s ‘Through The Fire And The Flames’ on Guitar Hero as a teenager, I’ve met bands of this genre in various points in my life. Serenity encapsulates so many elements that I love about the genre. Whether it’s the galloping rhythms, the melodic masterclasses, or soaring lead vocals, there’s so much and more in the Austrian band’s sound that I was drawn to.
The band began life circa 2001, and quickly rose to prominence with successful tours across Europe and supporting the late great Ronnie James Dio. Now signed to Napalm Records, the band are on the eve of their latest release Nemesis AD.
Following the rather theatrical and dramatic instrumental opening to the album (‘Memoriae Alberti Dureri’), we’re straight into the action with an early explosion of energy! Some absolutely blazing guitar solos and lead guitar work are signature to The Fall Of Man, as is the soaring vocals in the chorus. The pace and momentum aren’t lost for ‘Ritter, Tod und Teufel (Knightfall)’, which is more upbeat, bouncy in rhythm, whilst the synths/keys play a much more prominent role in providing the melodic hooks for the song. So far so good.
The pace grinds to a halt and we’re treated to a much slower and emotional ballad, ‘Soldiers Under The Cross’. A clear ode to those fallen soldiers in battle. I’d be curious to see whether this refers to a specific historical event, though the lyrics didn’t immediately give this away.
The album seems to continue in this pattern of alternating between more traditional faster and high energy Symphonic Metal powerhouses, and slower more Cinematic ballad driven anthems. Especially when you consider the final song, an orchestral and stripped down version of ‘Fall Of Man’. This is clever for me as this demonstrates compositional versatility and a deeper understanding of the song’s structure, especially if it can be transposed so effectively.
Aside from this though, as much as I enjoyed this album, I was wondering what exactly makes Serenity different from other bands in the genre? It’s a stacked genre so it can be difficult to make oneself stand out. However, I think ‘Reflections (Of AD)’ is the exception to this rule, and clearly the strongest song on the album.
I loved the Progressive elements, especially with what appears to be several movements in this song. Easily alternating between gorgeous orchestral passages to instantly memorable and high octane choruses. This chorus was honestly stuck in my head for several days after first hearing it, it was that instantly memorable! I’d love to see more of this progressive element in albums moving forward as I believe it could be what Serenity can do differently from others.
This ranks up with one of my favourite releases of this year! I’m really pleased that I discovered it. If I was to introduce someone to symphonic metal, I’d likely choose Serenity.
Serenity – ‘Fall of Man’
TRACKLISTING:
01. Memoriae Alberti Dureri
02. The Fall of Man
03. Ritter, Tod und Teufel (Knightfall)
04. Soldiers Under the Cross
05. Reflections (of AD)
06. Sun of Justice
07. Nemesis
08. The End of Babylon
09. Crowned by an Angel
10. The Sky Is Our Limit
11. The Fall of Man
LINE-UP:
Georg Neuhauser – Vocals
Christian Hermsdörfer – Guitars & Backing Vocals
Marco Pastorino – Guitars & Backing Vocals
Fabio D’Amore – Bass & Backing Vocals
Andreas Schipflinger – Drums & Backing Vocals
LINKS:
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