ALBUM REVIEW: Nemesis AD – Serenity
“Power metal” and “learning” are two terms generally not found holding hands in the same sentence. Unless that sentence is “POWERWOLF’s brand of power metal makes learning to fear werewolves again simple”, anyway. But at the junction where Germanic history and symphonic extravagance collide sit SERENITY, doing their best to educate the masses through the medium of Austrian hard cheese.
On the historical side of things, Nemesis AD acts as a pseudo-sequel of sorts to their previous effort The Last Knight and, musically, that consistency continues, too. The progressive metal bent that runs through the cerebral makeup of their work sits behind a vanguard of orchestrally dramatic re-enactment. It’s fitting, then, that Nemesis AD is as cultured a beast as the past it draws from; a patchwork of influences and styles that create one rich, narrative tapestry that can be followed cleanly from one end to the other.
Elements remain, of course. For starters, the typically huge choruses that are a SERENITY staple are here in abundance. Opening track proper The Fall Of Man sandwiches one between some characteristic guitar force, elevated by a distinctive cameo from ex-KAMELOT crooner Roy Khan. Meanwhile, Knightfall, Death And the Devil shifts the punchy guitar behind swooping strings and a hammering drum run in its mid-sections to create an anthemic stomper that really shows off the best of both worlds’ ethos.
But then things start to get playful. Reflections (Of AD), which could have been the sort of epic closer that mirrors the very best wrap-up reprise medleys instead acts as an unexpected mid-point narrative overload that sparkles with theatrical joy. It runs closer to The Greatest Showman than a historical epic with its layered harmonies and backing chorus and it’s a testament to SERENITY’s skill at mixing the entire album that it doesn’t feel out of place whatsoever.
The otherwise fine Sun Of Justice feels slightly plodding by comparison having to follow it; in fact, pace-wise the whole album noticeably slows at this point to make way for some more emotive fare. Pleasingly, though, it loses very little punch. Crowned By An Angel is a ballad you could beat someone over the head with, while the broodingly excellent Nemesis lets the progressive through to create an edgy album highlight by way of driving guitar and the odd bit of chanting.
Great music made by great musicians is a winning formula, it turns out, and SERENITY clearly still know how to spread out the feast perfectly. Mixing the big, the beautiful and the balls-to-the-wall, Nemesis AD is another sensational bit of historical bombast that takes pride of place in the band’s already remarkably consistent back catalogue. While the back end of the horse could use a pace injection there’s never any doubt about quality here; for a concept album with such a highly specific central theme, it’s incredibly impressive how many different strokes have been crammed into it without any flow disruption whatsoever. If the life and times of a 15th century painter and philosopher aren’t typically your interest, this could go some way towards altering that.
Rating: 8/10
Nemesis AD is set for release on November 3rd via Napalm Records.
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