Reviewed: April 2022
Released: February 2022, AFM Records
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Buddy H
For some reason, Serious Black are a band that have rarely crossed my radar all these years. I’m always excited to hear bands that are somewhat “new” to me. My mission begins!
If, like me, you are not as familiar with Serious Black’s back catalogue as others, then I will easily sum up their sound for you. After several listens, it is abundantly clear that this band unapologetically deliver polished melodic traditional metal with a dash of power metal flavorings sprinkled in for good measure. There have been some changes in the Serious Black camp since their last outing. This sixth album, VENGEANCE IS MINE sees the arrival of new vocalist Nikola Mijic who replaces former singer Urban Breed. Rounding out the lineup is founding member Mario Lochert, guitarists Dominik Sebastian and Bob Katsionis, and drummer Rami Ali.
All tunes are centered around the quality chunky riffing, rolling melody lines, and brief but effective solos of Sebastian and Katsionis. Keyboards are present but used only to establish or reinforce the melody and thicken the overall texture of the songs. All members deliver a fine performance in their respective roles. Of note is vocalist Mijic. If you close your eyes while listening, you will swear Tobias Sammet is behind the mic! These gentlemen are immensely talented at what they do. The songs are great, but there are no new trails being blazed here. And that is not a bad thing at all! As I stated earlier, this is a collection of well-constructed, polished melodic metal treats. The album kicks off in fine fashion with the one-two-three-four punch of “Rock With Us Tonight”, “Out Of The Ashes”, “Fallen Hero” and “Della Vita”. The rest of the tunes flow nicely with no let up in power and melody.
At the end of the day, if you have no problem with a band who is not looking to reinvent the genre but prefer to stick to a tried-and-true melodic metal formula, then you will be very happy with VENGEANCE IS MINE. Please give these guys a chance. I will definitely be getting more acquainted with Serious Black!
Track Listing:
1. Rock With Us Tonight
2. Out Of The Ashes
3. Fallen Hero
4. Senso Della Vita
5. Ray Of Light
6. Soul Divider
7. Tonight I’m Ready To Fight
8. Just For You
9. Soldiers Of Eternal Light
10. The Story
11. Queen Of Lies
12. Album Of Our Life
13. Alea Jacta Est
Lineup:
Nikola Mijic – Vocals
Dominik Sebastian – Guitars
Bob Katsionis – Guitars
Mario Lochert – Bass
Rami Ali – Drums
www.afm-records.de/en/s/176-serious-black-2.html
