The Last Knight is the new album from symphonic metallers, Serenity. The album was inspired by the life of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I. Georg Neuhauser’s lead vocals are instantly recognisable and soar above the carefully composed instrumentation. Serenity manage to achieve a great balance between the heavy distortion of the guitars, and orchestral elements to create a theatrical sound. With each album they have released, they have grown further and solidified their sound. The Last Knight is the next fantastic chapter in their journey.
The opening track, The Last Knight, sets the tone of the album perfectly. The dramatic brass introduction establishes the theme instantly. With fast string accompaniments and a full orchestral build-up – the energy and sense of motion produces an air of excitement and fantasy. The addition of choir vocals enhances the sound further. This shows another side to Serenity, as no guitars can be seen, and yet the sound is clearly theirs. Segueing into Invictus, the explosive guitars and presence of vocals are powerful. The chorus soars both vocally and instrumentally continuing the strong, fantasy theme. The guitar solo in this track suddenly introduces an oriental sound. This unexpected little twist adds an extra something, elevating their sound further. Souls And Sins brings the theatrical sound with a darker undertone. Aptly suiting the narrative, this track explores the difficulty experience of The Last Knight. The orchestral strings run throughout beneath the guitars adding a great level of depth to the sound. The chorus, once again, soars but brings with it the edge of a melancholy tone to reflect the mood of the track. Serenity are brilliant at giving an uplifting, energetic sound to their tracks. The contrast of a more sorrowful track brings a well-designed variety to the album.
My Kingdom Comes brings heavier textures in the form of the guitars and the presence of harsh vocals. The intricate melodies, also featuring an oriental twist, complement the aggressive edge of this track nicely. The guitars across the album are very effective in reflecting the mood of each piece of music. The cleaner tones used for the solos and lead riffs, cut through the distortion without interfering with the tone of the clean vocals, or the orchestral instruments. Everything feels well balanced and layered. The instruments are working together in harmony (literally and metaphorically) without competing for space. The fading outro of guitar and orchestral strings creates a haunting melody. Small details such as this work to develop the atmosphere of the music. The guitar riffs of Down To Hell are suggestive of darker themes whilst bringing high energy and a sense of excitement. This track is particularly guitar focused compared to some of the others on the album. By centralising each track around different themes and parts of the instrumentation, it gives the album variety. Call To Arms opens with a delicate piano and vocal section before erupting into a dramatic sound of orchestral instruments, choir vocals and fast guitars. As the penultimate track, the album doesn’t let up. The soaring, atmospheric chorus keeps the theatrical elements of the narrative present.
Once again Serenity have produced a fantastic album. It’s great to see how their sound is developing with each release; they have really found their strengths and are refining their sound. The world of symphonic metal has so many variants between bands and artists of this genre. Serenity have become an integral part of the scene.
Check out the track listing below:
- The Last Knight
- Invictus
- Set The World On Fire
- Keeper of the Knights
- Souls and Sins
- My Kingdom Comes
- Queen of Avalon
- My Farewell
- Down To Hell
- Wings of Pride
- Call to Arms
- Souls and Sins (acoustic version)
SERENITY on Tour:
w/ Rage
20.02.20 SK – Kosice / Collosseum
21.02.20 SK – Zvolen / Dom Kultury Zsr
22.02.20 CZ – Prague / Nova Chmelnice
23.02.20 DE – Bochum / Zeche
w/ Serenity, Dynazty, Victorius
01.04.20 DE – Munich /Backstage
02.04.20 DE – Berlin / Nuke CLub
03.04.20 DE – Weinheim / Cafe Central
04.04.20 DE – Essen / Turock
05.04.20 NL – Haarlem / Patronaat
07.04.20 NL – Enschede / Metropool
08.04.20 BE – Aarschot / De Klinker
09.04.20 DE – Rüsselheim am Main / Das Rind
10.04.20 CH – Luzern / Schüür
11.04.20 AT – Wörgl / Komma
SERENITY are:
Georg Neuhauser – lead vocals, backing vocals
Fabio D’Amore – bass, guitar, vocals
Andreas Schipflinger – drums, vocals
Chris Hermsdörfer – electric, acoustic & classical guitars, vocals, growls
Fans can find Serenity at the following locations:
www.facebook.com/serenityaustria
