Serenity's 'Nemesis AD' - Album Review

The last couple of years have been great for both symphonic and power metal. For a while both genres looked to have burnt themselves out, with both also having become bloated with many imitators of the relevant big hitters, but I have reviewed quite a few albums from both genres recently - and the quality has generally been high. It perhaps helps that my personal interest in both genres has increased again of late, but nevertheless the quality of the numerous recent releases has been enough to hold my interest - as, given the amount of music out there, it certainly would have dipped again if not sustained. 2024 looks to be shaping up for another good year for the aforementioned genres, with both Sonata Arctica and Nightwish looking to release albums, but 2023 has one last slab of power metal for me to cover - with the eighth album from Austria's Serenity, Nemesis AD, dropping last month. It is hard to believe that Serenity have now released eight albums. Like so many bands who deserve better things, they always feel like young up-and-comers - but having debuted back in 2007 with Words Untold & Dreams Unlived they are very much scene veterans at this point. I have had a bit of an up-and-down relationship with the band over the years, but pretty much everything they have put out I have enjoyed. I am not sure that they have ever fulfilled their potential of being Kamelot's successors - but they came close in 2011 with the excellent Death & Legacy, only for keyboardist and songwriter Mario Hirzinger to leave the band. With guitarist Thomas Buchberger also out a few years later, that early songwriting trio (which was completed by frontman Georg Neuhauser) was no more. The Serenity of the past eight years has been something of a different beast, then, but the band kicked on - and released a few more pretty strong albums, culminating in 2020's The Last Knight (which I reviewed here). The band's more recent albums have felt a bit heavier overall in my opinion, with a stronger guitar focus wrapped up within the symphonic/power metal sounds which have featured since the beginning. Nemesis AD feels slightly different, then, and it seems to hark back to the band's early more than continue on the recent sound established on The Last Knight and its immediate predecessors. The difference is not night and day, as Serenity's evolution was gradual, but Nemesis AD certainly feels more lush and less riffy than the last few albums. This coincides with Marco Pastorino (Secret Sphere; Virtual Symmetry; Temperance; Wonders; Fallen Sanctuary) joining the band as a second guitarist - bringing the band's line-up back up to a five-piece for the first time since 2015. Nemesis AD is the first Serenity album to feature two guitarists, though, but it is not the first to feature some involvement from Pastorino - as he co-wrote some of the songs on The Last Knight and also has written with Neuhauser as a part of Fallen Sanctuary. It is perhaps strange that Nemesis AD is less riffy and in-your-face than the band's other recent works given the additional guitarist present - but the overall change is a welcome one, particularly for those who really like the band's early work and more symphonic sounds in general.

As is typical the album opens with a scene-setter, Memoriae Alberti Dureri, which, for fans of symphonic and power metal, will feel familiar. It seems to be a rule that such albums open in a lush fashion - but the choirs do set the tone for what will follow, and the piece acts as an extended intro to The Fall of Man. The first song proper, then, showcases that older sound previously mentioned - and it also sees Neuhauser duetting with Roy Khan (Conception; Kamelot). Given the similarity of some of Serenity's work with Kamelot's older sound, having Khan on board certainly sees the band giving a knowing wink to those comparisons. The two singers play off each other well, though, and it is great to hear Khan in any context given his previous long hiatus from music. Elsewhere, though, big guitar leads open up the song - whilst the fast double bass drums of Andreas Schipflinger create an old-school power metal sound early on. Much of the song is quite mid-paced, though. The soaring lead guitars resurface occasionally, but generally the verses are more low key - with Fabio D'Amore's pulsing bass and some twinkling piano providing the bed for Neuhauser and Khan's voices. The chorus is more full-bodied, then, with a crunchier guitar backing and some emotional strings; with the two singers duetting well in harmony. It very much harks back to the Death & Legacy side of Serenity - as well as the early days of the Khan-era of Kamelot. It is a bombastic track, but it retains a darker side thanks to Khan's deeper vocal delivery, and it is full of soaring power metal moments such as a shredded guitar solo and plenty of up-tempo drumming. Ritter, Tod und Teufel (Knightfall) follows and the song opens with some organ melodies - over which Schipflinger's drums soon crash and the piece morphs into a mid-paced rocker with stabbing guitar rhythms and pulsing orchestral stabs. Pastorino and long-time guitarist Chris Hermsdörfer create a strong rhythmic backing here, but the strings and keyboards tend to dominate - creating another old-school symphonic power metal anthem. The pulsing main melodic hook sticks in the brain from the off, but the verses here have more weight than those of the previous song with more crunching rhythms - keeping up the heaviness throughout. The chorus is very heroic here and it goes for the anthemic style which Neuhauser has always excelled at. Serenity were always more overtly power metal than Kamelot and their choruses showcase that - with this one being very mid-2000s in sound, despite the gothic strings. Another shredded guitar solo adds depth and the track is sure to become a live staple going forward thanks to its huge hooks and accessible sound. Soldiers Under the Cross opens more slowly, with Neuhauser singing against a gentle string backing for quite an extended period. Despite this, though, the vocal melodies and the overall arrangement is a stripped back version of what is to follow - and the song later grows from this beginning, with creeping guitar riffing building on the retained strings. The slower pace allows for a more emotional vocal from Neuhauser, who gets plenty of space within the mix to shine, with later renditions of the chorus, which are heavier than the opening version, benefitting from the still relatively stripped back sound. Somewhat a ballad, then, the piece is less bombastic than the opening cuts - but there is still some guitar weight here, as well as another melodic solo.

Reflections (of AD) is the album's longest song, at just over eight minutes in length, and also one of the longest songs of the band's catalogue. Serenity do not tend to write long songs and, considering that this album is relatively short for a symphonic/power metal album, this one ends up taking up quite a significant chunk of the album. It really feels like the intended centrepiece, then, and thankfully it is another strong effort. Early Serenity flirted with some more progressive metal touches and this song revisits some of those vibes - whilst staying true to the album's core sound. There are a few different movements here and it grows from humble beginnings - which see Neuhauser singing against a gentle backdrop which the song proper grows from. Mid-paced riffy sections sit nicely alongside a fast-paced chorus which is driven by plenty of double bass drumming - but overall the song is just full of lush orchestrations which are very easy on the ear. Piano melodies and the dense strings dominate, even during the heavier sections, which, again, showcases the slight shift in overall tone on this album. There is a part of the song which also sounds like someone other than Neuhauser sings. D'Amore has acted as a co-lead vocalist occasionally, and Pastorino is an accomplished frontman in his own right, so it could well be one of them - but the brief section does not immediately jump out as being by either. It may just be Neuhauser pushing himself, but either way the change in tone adds some additional diversity. A lengthy instrumental section also helps this, with the album's most explosive guitar solo coming later in the piece against some furious riffing and drumming. Sun of Justice another up-tempo power metal anthem, with a hooky string motif and fast-paced drums from Schipflinger. There are moodier sections, such as the early parts of each verse which very much channel Kamelot's trademark sound, but these brief flirtations just add depth - as the song tends to race off at a fair pace, with some weightier guitar riffing and Neuhauser's vocals leading the charge. It is another song that really showcases what a great singer he is. His tone is very pleasing and has always been more sing-song than Khan, which has helped to separate Serenity from Kamelot despite the comparisons, and the chorus here is one of the album's best - and, again, I would not be surprised to see the song become a live favourite as a result. Nemesis opens with some Eastern-tinged melodies, but any thoughts of the track being something more atmospheric and snaking are soon dismissed - as the track is another up-tempo and anthemic piece, albeit with a heavier overall sound. The chorus is very typical of the rest of the album, with lots of double bass drumming and a strong string backing, but elsewhere the guitars are much crunchier. The verses feel heavier than much of the rest of the album, with the strings sitting more in the background, whilst a few chunkier lead-based sections add a different overall tone. There is a more atmospheric section later on, which has some distant bagpipes before a murky bridge section takes over, but this is a brief change of pace - and the song is soon back to galloping away at breakneck speed.

The End of Babylon reins in the pace somewhat and the track is much more gothic and atmospheric overall. The mid-paced track is based around a weighty drum groove, around which some tough guitar stabs and distant piano melodies weave - and Neuhauser takes the opportunity to use his lower register a bit more. The track is much less bombastic than many of the others here, then, with the gothic choirs dictating the pace. This change of tack is welcome, though, as it helps the album to feel a bit more varied overall. I like the all-out power metal assault of many of the songs here, but I also like the more atmospheric approach taken on The End of Babylon. The creeping vibe is strong and the song feels heavier for it - with the deliberate chorus hitting hard thanks to the slower pace and the ever-present choir. Another great guitar solo showcases the virtuoso side of the band, too, but the melodies are such so that they fit in nicely with the track's darker tones. Crowned by an Angel is another slower track and it has the vibe of a power ballad despite sounding a bit more bombastic than one in truth. The song opens with piano and Neuhauser's voice and the verses tend to return to this sound - despite it being built on as the song progresses. It never feels quite as stripped back again, then, but the pace remains on the slower side - and Neuhauser certainly goes for a more emotional approach throughout, with the strings perfectly complimenting him during a more expansive chorus section. Considering that the album does not really have an out-and-out ballad, this slower track is welcome. It certainly allows for a more emotional approach throughout but there is still plenty of bombast thanks to the big string arrangement and Neuhauser's excellent melodies. There is plenty of strong lead guitar work throughout, too, with another excellent solo present and the closing section is also filled with emotional playing. The album then comes to a close with The Sky Is Our Limit, which is more of a dramatic and mid-paced piece overall. It feels packed with drama thanks to its dynamic arrangement which features quite a lot of piano and strings - as well as plenty of guitar heft throughout. This song is perhaps more similar in tone to some of the band's other recent albums, with the mid-paced and somewhat heavier sound different to that of the album's core power metal pace. As the song closes out the album, though, this different path works well - and it helps to create some drama as the album ends. Neuhauser sounds excellent as always, as he brings the heroic chorus to life, and the bombastic song brings the strong album to a fitting close with plenty of symphonic excellence. I have enjoyed all of Serenity's output, but I think this album is the one I have enjoyed the most for a while - even though The Last Knight got quite a bit of attention around the time it was released. I like the old-school sound here and the more melodic and overt power metal approach is welcome - with each song here being memorable. The album's shorter length allows each piece to shine a little brighter, too, and I am looking forward to hearing some of these songs live when I see the band in February.

The album was released on 3rd November 2023 via Napalm Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Ritter, Tod und Teufel (Knightfall).