Serious Black – Vengeance Is Mine
Release Date: 25th February 2022
Label: AFM Records
Pre-Order/Pre-Save
Genre: Power Metal, Melodic Metal.
FFO: Helloween, Blind Guardian, Stone Sour, Dragonforce.
Review By: Jordan Burton-Morris
Serious Black, a supergroup formed by Mario Lochert (Emergency Gate, ex-Visions of Atlantis) and Roland Grapow (ex-Helloween) backstage at a summer festival in Spain in 2013. They later added more musicians to the fold and finally came together in January 2014. After a few line-up changes, the band now consists of Nikola Mijic (Vocals), Dominik Sebastian (Guitar), Bob Katsionis (Guitar), Mario Lochert (Bass) and Rami Ali (Drums).
The international power metal band surrounding bassist and founder Mario Lochert has succeeded in creating what is probably the most powerful and imaginative work of its career so far, with an abundance of great guitar riffs, grooving rhythms and anthemic melodies.
Lochert`s believes that his band has succeeded in creating a masterpiece in Vengeance Is Mine, and the key factor of this is the band’s latest addition: Nikola Mijic, a powerful singer from Serbia who, after a successful guest appearance with British act Eden’s Curse, has become Serious Black’s new frontman. Mijić has replaced the group’s former vocalist Urban Breed, who had announced his departure in spring 2021.
One of the new songs on Serious Black’s upcoming studio album is called Album Of Our Life, which hits the nail on the head in several respects.
This album rips through 13 doses of heavy riffing and fresh vocal lines, which all hang around the 4-minute mark. This is the perfect example of all killer, no filler. Each track is different, but similarly structured, which seems to work in their favour. Ray Of Light is a piano lead ballad which hits hard and strong, and contrasts nicely to the blazing infernos that bookend it. Similarly, choral voices join in songs such as Soldiers Of Eternal Light, and The Story, which is a lot more acoustic/guitar based, adds great light and shade to the album.
Thanks to Nikola Mijić’s expressive timbre, guitarist Dominik Sebastian’s rapid riffs and hooks, drummer Ramy Ali’s driving grooves and bassist and bandleader Mario Lochert’s diverse songwriting, Vengeance Is Mine is a great example of a deeply melodic album and, at the same time, one that exudes wonderful dynamics. This album has it all, anthemic moments, catchy choruses and insane melodic solos! Do yourself a favour and check this one out!
(4 / 5)
