On first listen it’s an easy job to review this Austrian Metal band’s 4th CD of premier-league, top quality, Symphonic Power Metal. It hasn’t deviated in style from previous release ‘Death & Legacy’, so most of it sounds like Sonata Arctica and some of it sounds like Kamelot (A little dismissive OK, but also admirable given that Serenity achieve this on a fraction of the recording budget that those two bands have and really, that’s what Serenity fans will want to hear!).
There’s also an overly slushy ballad and a very dodgy “Hey Nonny Nonny” style intro to ‘Legacy of the Tudors’ that just shouldn’t be allowed and there you go – 8/10 – job done! Thankyou very much, I’ll be down the pub…
But hold on, maybe there’s something here to set Serenity aside from the crowd (however elite) – I notice from the info that they now employ ex-Whyzdom female vocalist Clémentine Delauney as a full time member of the band. She has a great voice that works well alongside the Tony Kakko-esqe leanings of male vocalist Georg Neuhauser, and by the second verse of opener ‘Wings Of Madness’ , she gets her chance to shine (though she has already admirably stamped her authority on it’s excellent scene-setting intro). An impressive start – the band keeps it’s identity yet broadens it’s appeal.
The next track is ‘The Art Of War’…which sounds like Sonata Arctica…and third track ‘Shining Oasis’ sounds like Kamelot…hang on – where did Clémentine go?? Oh wait, she gets to sing one line in ‘Shining Oasis’ and I think that’s her doing a harmony on the chorus and a bit of backing vocal. She does get to do a rather obvious duet style on the ballad but I’m afraid as far as the rest of the album goes, it starts to feel a little like poor Clémentine is a bit of an afterthought.
I realize that the band will be wary of changing too much so this may be a way of testing the water (I’ll wait and see what the future holds), but on this release it feels like a bit of a wasted opportunity. Further highlighted on the final track ‘Royal Pain’ where it’s female vocals for the entire chorus (a great one at that!), and with it’s catchy riff and vocal interplay, the song is a real stand-out track – possibly the best on the album!
So to sum up, ‘War Of Ages’ is a really classy, expertly written and arranged album, that rivals anything in the genre – as is expected when you have set the bar so high already. But I’m knocking a point off for not utilising the twin vocals more. I’m sure Serenity will still sleep at night…
(7/10 – Andy Barker)
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