Serenity are back after three years with their highly anticipated album, “Nemesis AD”, which is inspired by the life and works of renowned German Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer. The band also introduces their new member, Marco Pastorino (Temperance, Virtual Symmetry, Fallen Sanctuary) on guitar & backing vocals.
The two singles prior to the release, “Ritter, Tod und Teufel (Knightfall)” (named after Dürer’s famous artwork), with lyrics partly sung in German for the first time in the band’s history, and “The Fall of Man”, which features the iconic vocalist Roy Khan (Conception, ex-Kamelot), gave me a fairly impressive first taste. Even though I approached the album with a little bit of skepticism at first, I was proved completely wrong in the end. It took a few listens to properly grasp what was going on, and each time I was more hooked. The catchy melodies, the orchestral arrangements, the choirs, the heavy guitars, the superb solos, the thunderous drumming, and the amazing vocals… it’s all there. Apart from the aforementioned ones, songs such as “Soldiers Under the Cross”, “Reflections (of AD)” (which reminded me of the old good Avantasia), “Sun of Justice”, “The End of Babylon”, “Crowned by an Angel” (a wonderful emotional power ballad), and “The Sky is Our Limit” will certainly thrill you. The orchestral version of “The Fall of Man” is also magnificent!
The music blend of Kamelot, Avantasia, Conception, and Sonata Arctica, among others, works really well. There is a perfect balance between the symphonic and metal elements on the album. Even the choirs are used carefully, making the sound more grandiose without overdoing it. The musicianship is excellent, and vocalist Georg Neuhauser gives some of his strongest performances to date. The production is full, powerful, and clear. Once again, the famed Sascha Paeth (Avantasia, Kamelot, Epica, Rhapsody of Fire, etc.) is responsible for the production, the recordings, the mixing, and the mastering. I guess you can’t go wrong with a producer like Paeth behind the mixing desk.
“Nemesis AD” is a truly exceptional album and one of the band’s best works, if not their best, to date. It’s an album that will transport you to another world… a world of beauty, epicness, power, and emotion. Serenity have once again delivered an album that is sure to become a favorite among symphonic power metal fans.
