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From Wörgl the progressive, symphonic metal band Serenity is trying to leave their mark on the metal scene. The Austrian quintet is now presenting their 2nd album which is called Fallen Sanctuary.
Piano leads into the opener All Lights Reversed, then singer Georg Neuhauser joins in, a bit later they go full force and the symphonic balladesque opening is replaced by a progressive power metal tune with a catchy melody. The vocals of Georg Neuhauser remind me a bit of Andrew MacDermott, even if Mac has a deeper timbre... Actually it's the vocals which make them differ from other symphonic metal bands, but also the progressive elements. A fast tune is Rust Of Coming Ages which combines complexity, heaviness and melodies spiced up with an occasional growl. A touch of sadness has Coldness Kills, an enchanting balladesque symphonic tune with an acoustic part. With Fairytales they present a piano-based ballad where they added female vocals to tell the story - done by Sandra Schleret. For The Heartblood Symphony they speed up again and bring back the heaviness, but again they use breaks... twists and turns to keep the listeners attention. At Velatum I have to think of Sargant Fury, just a symphonic version of the them. Another asset of Serenity is that they have several good singers in the band, so they can use choirs, backings and counter part vocals. The last song on the regular edition is Oceans Of Ruby, a fast track with a chorus sung by a choir and growls as a counter part to Georg Neuhauser's vocals. After a break a slow piano-based passage, then a guitar solo added before they return to the main theme.
I highly recommend this album to fans of symphonic metal who like great melodies and aren't afraid of some progressive elements. Check out: Coldness Kills, Velatum and Fairytale.
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