SERENITY: Words Untold & Dreams Unlived

Cover	Release	Style
	2007-04-30	progressive power metal
	Label
	www.napalmrecords.com / www.hardlifepromotion.nl
	Website
	www.serenity-band.com
	Contact
	-
	Playing Time	Cat. N°
	47:32	NPR 209 SPV 085-350392 CD
	Review by / Translated by	Rating
	Vera	8,5/10
nederlands	Review
Maybe you belong to the group of people with a wait-and-see policy now that Napalm Records – a label that has some top notch quality adventurous (doom) metal bands in the house like Draconian and Summoning – suddenly signs a lot of power metal bands. Fortunately they still have an eye (and ears!) for quality, because these power bands are pretty good as well. Serenity joins the new wave of power metal and I really enjoyed this record. Even more: it is highly recommended! We are dealing with an Austrian band, founded in 2001 and after numerous line-up changes they became heavier and more metal-oriented late 2003. But it remains melodious and they use orchestral arrangements as well. One of the highlights in the career of this quintet was supporting Ronnie James Dio and a first demo was released in the spring of 2005, called ‘Engraved Within’, a song one can find on this debut album too. The band recorded and financed ‘Words Untold & Dreams Unlived’ themselves and only then they started looking for a label. It finally resulted in a deal with Napalm Records, who can be proud of their new discovery. The more I listen to this album, the better it gets. Initially you may think “Nothing new under the sun” – and that’s the way it is – but the band showcases a huge maturity in writing songs, surely when dealing with a debut one. To express it a bit less formal: the songs are direct hits in fine melody-lines and catchiness. They play with passion (especially guitar skills are amazing) and we have a great interaction between heavy passages and more sentimental intermezzos. Vocals of Georg Neuhauser hold the mean between Klaus Meine (without his huge accent) and Andrew McDermott (Threshold). One way or another it may sound a bit too polished from time to time, yet this album has an overwhelming sound (mix and mastering happened at the non-stop concern Finnvox Studios, Helsinki). In ‘Reduced To Nothingness’ and ‘Thriven’ we hear a sporadic grunt of Axumis of Tristwood. Some bombast is present on the score of the orchestral arrangements and keyboards, that’s why fans of Dream Theater, Threshold and Kamelot will do a fine discovery when they give Serenity a fair chance. There is not one weaker song to be found on ‘Words Untold & Dreams Unlived’, but halfway the record, when ‘Engraved Within’ and the standout ‘Forever’ resound through my room, I prefer maximum volume. True congratulations I send to Austria!
Musicians
Georg Neuhauser: vocals Thomas Buchberger: guitars Simon Holzknecht: bass Mario Hirzinger: keyboards, backing vocals Andreas Schipflinger: drums, backing vocals Guests Lanvall (Edenbridge) and Axumis (Maggo Wenzel) (Tristwood/Inzest)
Tracklist
Canopus 3 (4:31) Reduced To Nothingness (4:54) Words Untold (instrumental) (0:57) Circle Of My 2^nd Life (5:32) Engraved Within (6:21) Forever (6:42) Dreams Unlived (instrumental) (0:50) Dead Man Walking (4:53) From Where The Dark Is Born (6:17) Thriven (6:23)
Discography


Beekstraat 1 - B-2640 Mortsel - Belgium