Serenity

Serenity – Nemesis A.D. Review

Serenity – Nemesis A.D. Review

“Austria’s Serenity had a pretty good run over these last 10 years. Starting life as a progressive-minded power metal act, by the time 2013s War of Ages hit the streets they’d shifted to a more streamlined and grandiose style, sounding like Kamelot cross-bred with Sonata Arctica and Avantasia. The formula worked very well due to consistently solid, memorable songwriting and albums like Codex Atlanticus and Lionheart had a lot to offer fans of larger-than-life symphonic power metal. 2020s The Last Knight was a step backward, dumbing down their sound while trying to make it more poppy and accessible, with bright synths and borderline club beats underlying the usual pomp and circumstance. The end product was still Serenity but things sounded plastic, frail, and light on substance. Three years on we get their eighth album, Nemesis A.D.Serenity NOW!

Wonders – Beyond the Mirage Review

Wonders – Beyond the Mirage Review

“A supergroup of sorts—featuring members of Temperance, Serenity, and Even Flow, among many many others—Wonders play a triumphant, uplifting, adventure-bound sort of heavy/power metal. That means belted cleans, big stadium-crushing choruses, sparkling synths, speedy guitar chugs and noodles, double bass runs out the ass, and ten thousand metric tons of shredded cheddar.” If Wonder Bread was cheese.

Memories of Old – The Zeramin Game Review

Memories of Old – The Zeramin Game Review

“As if the cover of Memories of Old’s debut wasn’t enough of an indicator, this one is for all the fantasy nerds out there. Promo materials for The Zeramin Game identify Memories of Old’s music as symphonic power metal, but if we’re talking specifics, The Zeramin Game is a spirited cross between castle metal and pirate metal. It’s the kind of album I’d expect might be born if Serenity and Alestorm had an inkling for each other — an album concerning equal parts ancient times, legend, and prophecy and equal parts a journey across turbulent seas.” Game-core.

Almanac – A Discographic Review [Tsar (2016), Kingslayer (2017) and Rush of Death (2020)]

Almanac – A Discographic Review [Tsar (2016), Kingslayer (2017) and Rush of Death (2020)]

“For the last four years, I have been neglecting—and you have been denied my Very Important Opinion™ about—one of the most idiosyncratic voices in metal: Victor Smolski. And so, in a Swallow the Sun-sized act of hubris, I’m writing a discographic review of Victor Smolski’s Almanac.” You can’t spell “Almanac” without MAN!

Human Fortress – Reign of Gold Review

Human Fortress – Reign of Gold Review

Human Fortress has had a strange and somewhat tragic career. I bought their 2001 debut Lord of Earth and Heavens Heir on a whim and was blown away by the classy, high-quality power metal the band delivered. Aided by the exceptional vocals of Jioti Parcharidis, the band crafted some excellent songs that have stuck with me over the years, and while the album wasn’t perfect, it was a rousing and polished slab o’ Euro-power with tons of hooks. In 2003 they took a big step forward, topping their debut with Defenders of the Crown, which has gone on to become one of my favorite power metal albums of all time and one I still play with great regularity. After this, things began to fall apart.” All that sparkles….

Serenity – Lionheart Review

Serenity – Lionheart Review

Serenity is an Austrian symphonic power metal band that has met my standards with 2016’s Codex Atlanticus. That record was solid, yes, but I was surprised by the band’s newest record landing in my inbox a year after its release. More concerning than surprising, however, is that the record is a concept album about Richard the Lion-Hearted. A solid record a year later is an ask for most bands, but do-able. A solid concept album in the same time is simply a reach. So, is Serenity’s Lionheart a good album? And, more importantly, is it a good concept album?” Lions, hearts and crusades, oh my!

Eagleheart – Reverse Review

Eagleheart – Reverse Review

“As this particular combination of band name and album art has probably deterred the chunk of our visitors who are power metal-phobic, these next words will likely fall on the ears of those who want to hear them least: most power metal is bad. My love affair with the genre will never completely fizzle, but with so many start-ups crutching on knock-off Helloween choruses executed through dreadful vocal performances and robotic rhythm sections, picking out the diamonds in the rough is often a fruitless task.” When the eagle doesn’t cry.

Serenity – Codex Atlanticus Review

Serenity – Codex Atlanticus Review

Serenity is an Austrian symphonic power metal that I’ve just recently learned our very own Steel Druhm has been fawning over, thus once again sullying my hard-earned reputation by rubber-stamping anything that reminds him of his wasted youth. In an effort to put a stop to this travesty, I decided to review Codex Antlanticus myself. Having never heard the band—certainly the facts pursuant to Druhm‘s overzealous ratings aren’t necessary in order to feel offended—I immersed myself in Serenity’s 5th full length release bracing only for the worst. Hilarity, as one might expect, ensued.

Lustre – Wonder Review

Lustre – Wonder Review

“It was about five years ago that I heard Lustre’s very first EP, Serenity, and it wasn’t awful I suppose. It was incredibly soft as black metal goes, to the point where I wouldn’t even call it black metal any more. It had a very prominent keyboard melody over the top of the “black metal” and just went on and on, but since the melody was good it didn’t feel too overlong. Where I didn’t really enjoy the EP all that much, I did see some kind of potential if the dude actually worked towards evolving his songwriting past the *cough* “hypnotic” structure, in which he steals Burzum’s flair for repetition and forgets everything that makes repetition actually work. Five years later I check out his latest recording and it’s pretty much as dreadful as it possibly could be. What on earth happened?” Noctus unleashed a vicious indictment againt the lack of progression by a black metal act and in related news, water is still wet.

Serenity – War of Ages Review

Serenity – War of Ages Review

Serenity have been releasing solid power metal albums for a while now, but so far they seem to be fairly underrated. I really enjoyed their older releases, especially Fallen Sanctuary (“The Heartblood Symphony” is a great fucking song). No small part of their appeal comes from the fact that singer Georg Neuhauser sounds a lot like Sonata Arctica’s Tony Kakko, but Serenity’s music is heavier and more ballsy than anything Sonata has attempted in ages. War of Ages sees the band right the flagship and find the proper balance between their increasing symphonic leanings and their prior metal edge. The result is a good approximation of what Kamelot would sound like if they replaced Roy Kahn with Mr. Kakko and continued on their merry, pirate-shirted way. ” Do you like Sonata Arctica? Do you like Kamelot? Well according to Steel Druhm, this is so deep in your wheelhouse, you’ll never get it out!