SERIOUS BLACK
“Vengeance Is Mine”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

10/10

Serious Black are a German based melodic power metal band formed in 2013, releasing six albums – ‘As Daylight Breaks’ (2015), ‘Mirrorworld’ (2016), ‘Magic’ (2017), the acoustic album ‘First Light’ (2017), ‘Suite 226’ (2020), and ‘Vengeance Is Mine’…

…released in 2022 – a weighty thirteen songs across fifty two fiery minutes. Founded by bass player Mario Lochert in 2014, Serious Black has undergone numerous line-up changes during their short career, the latest of which is new vocalist Nikola Mijic (Eden’s Curse, Alogia). Despite the change of lead singer, the band kept on track with the new album, and have probably delivered their best work to date, with Lochert’s song writing taking on a new dimension, venturing into lyrical themes he’d never touched before.

‘Vengeance Is Mine’ opens with the perfect “concert opener” ‘Rock With Us Tonight’, a high energy, up tempo and punchy song which sets the mood for what is to come – whether that’s in concert or right here, right now, with this album. Serious Black are on to a winner with ‘Rock With Us Tonight’ – both musically and lyrically – the feel good factor just oozing from the song, creating an atmosphere of incredible ecstasy. What a song, what a band, and what a start! ‘Out Of The Ashes’ picks up the pace and motors on furiously, yet loses nothing of the phenomenal energy and melodious intent of the band. The electrifying opening double salvo has been terrific, turning heads and making people sit up and take notice, stopping whatever it is they’re doing. Dabbing the brakes, ‘Fallen Hero’ drops a gear but increases the melodic intent ten-fold! A bombastic barrage, ‘Fallen Hero’ is big, bold, and hits hard like a wrecking ball, creating one helluva party atmosphere. A terrific opening double salvo has just become a tremendous triple!

‘Senso Della Vita’ – translated, means sense (or meaning) of life – maintains the pulsating party atmosphere, picking up the tempo and pace, fairly steaming ahead and knocking the socks off everyone! Serious Black appeared on my radar two years ago with their hard hitting (fifth) album ‘Suite 226’ – and have now upped the ante, delivering a much harder hitting one. Fucking A! The band slam on the brakes for ‘Ray Of Light’, taking a sharp turn toward ballad territory. I say toward, for ‘Ray Of Light’ is more like an anthemic hymn, bold and big with an epic atmosphere – and when growled vocals make an appearance, what a new dimension that adds to the songs soundscape! With their new album Serious Black have not put a foot wrong. And with an electrifying injection of pace, they’re not likely to either – ‘Soul Divider’ marching on with more menace and aggression than heard so far. And when I say aggression, don’t worry it’s only mild, no need to go running for cover! With its short mellow intro indicating a possible ballad, ‘Tonight I’m Ready To Fight’ proves initial instincts totally wrong. Full of pace, ‘Tonight I’m Ready To Fight’ is a defiantly raucous and highly infectious romp, with a very bold “i’m not gonna take any shit” vibe. And I believe it!

Hitting the fire and brimstone trail, Serious Black thunder forth with ‘Just For You’, one of the heaviest hitting songs heard so far – the albums feel good factor as strong now as it was when ‘Rock With Us Tonight’ set the album alight. The band are on fire – all cylinders red hot and scorching! And have Serious Black just bought a thousand head of cattle? For ‘Soldiers Of Eternal Light’ is so beefy they must have got that beefiness from somewhere! The hard hitting nature is fierce, and just like world heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson in his prime – both delivering deadly knock-out punches! For modern day power metal albums, the inclusion of a ballad seems mandatory, with Serious Black not letting that trend down – ‘The Story’ a soulful and mellow meander. A definite lighters in the air moment, ‘The Story’ has its harder moments, grabbing the odd nuance from the epic, glory, and anthemic styles of metal, and wrapping them all in a hymn-like atmosphere.

And now for the fastest and most head bang-able song on the album – ‘Queen Of Lies’ has a ferocious opening, slowing a little as it gets going, but retaining that all out, balls out pace that makes head banging so fucking easy. Is there nothing this band can’t do! I doubt it – for when you’re at the top of your game firing on all cylinders, everything is perfect. And is ‘Album Of Our Life’ a sentiment, a predication, or the truth? I reckon “all of the above” – ‘Album Of Our Life’ maintaining the albums overall thrust and fire that’s been present from song one. The bustling nature is actually more heavy metal than power metal, but that is the flexibility, dexterity, and ingenuity of the band. The album comes to a close with another heavier, more menacing offering, ‘Alea Iacta Est’ – from Latin meaning “the die is cast”. However, the feel good factor that’s been a constant highlight of the entire album still remains, ‘Alea Iacta Est’ thundering to the finishing line.

Overall, an absolute belter of an album, Serious Black have delivered an exhilarating ride of hard hitting and infectious power metal.

TRACKLIST

Rock With Us Tonight
Out Of The Ashes
Fallen Hero
Senso Della Vita
Ray Of Light
Soul Divider
Tonight I’m Ready To Fight
Just For You
Soldiers Of Eternal Light
The Story
Queen Of Lies
Album Of Our Life
Alea Iacta Est

https://www.serious-black.com/
https://www.facebook.com/seriousblackofficial/

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