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Serenity > Fallen Sanctuary > Reviews
Serenity - Fallen Sanctuary

There is no sanctuary amidst the killing fields. - 93%

hells_unicorn, August 7th, 2021
Written based on this version: 2008, CD, Napalm Records (Enhanced)

Though often pigeonholed as a Sonata Arctica doppelganger with some symphonic and progressive flourishes, the early days of Austrian power metal veterans Serenity are actually a fair bit enigmatic. A more apt comparison to their sound in the late 2000s would be as their nation's answer to the rise of Kamelot, albeit with some occasional darker flourishes in line with concurrent works by Symphony X and Adagio. Nevertheless, apart from vocalist Georg Neuhauser being a near carbon copy of Tony Kakko, there are some occasional references to the early to mid-2000s sound of the latter's band (specifically the material prior to Unia) that dovetail with the melodic idioms and ballad-tendencies of Serenity's earliest studio endeavors, and it is on their second LP Fallen Sanctuary that this is at its most pronounced. Indeed, the somewhat cryptic album title itself hints at the sort of melancholic and highly poignant mode of power metal expression that Kakko himself popularized several years prior, though the music surrounding it is a bit more nuanced and measured.

In contrast to the 2007 debut, this time around the quasi-conceptual storybook elements and brief instrumental markers have been avoided in favor of an album structure that is a bit more straightforward. Stylistically speaking, it leans towards the heavier and darker end of things, coming pretty closer to embracing the same sonic template as Kamelot's The Black Halo, with some elements of Symphony X's The Odyssey found in the chunky riffing approach and tone of Thomas Buchberger, while the song structuring and melodic contours shows a noticeable Reckoning Night tinge. The overtly progressive elements that painted the music towards the end of Words Untold & Dreams Unlived is a bit more understated here, though Mario Hirzinger's keyboard work still occasionally exhibits some Jordan Rudess tendencies and his piano and orchestral arrangements do much to build an elaborate scheme off of what is otherwise a very succinct and by the numbers rhythmic backdrop provided by bassist Simon Holzknecht (who would leave following this album) and drummer Andreas Schipflinger.

It should be noted that although this album is a bit less storybook-like in structure and a tad more streamlined does not necessitate a less epic sound, but in fact the exact opposite is what comes about. From the serene piano intro of opening anthem "All Lights Reversed" it's fairly clear that no expense has been spared in the nuance department, nor the triumphant one once the guitars and symphonic bombast commence. Curiously enough, this opening number proves to be the most longwinded and structurally ambitious entry of the entire album, taking all of the atmospheric splendor of Epica and merging it with a more rhythmically involved riff scheme and sense of melodic progression that's dredges up those aforementioned Symphony X comparisons. Then again, the progressive flourishes that filter in and out of "Coldness Kills" and "The Heartblood Symphony" are just about as prominent and even find the band expanding their stylistic pallet a bit to include some electronic elements similar to what Evergrey had been dabbling in a bit earlier in the 2000s, and the melancholic character of Neuhauser's vocal interpretation works extremely well in this capacity.

All of the previous points considered, the real strength of this album comes into view when the somewhat longer forays into nuanced territory make way for shorter and more consistently driving and triumphant materially. The quick-paced power metal trappings with a side order of progressive intrigue that is "To Stone She Turned" could rival any of the faster offerings heard off of Kamelot's early to mid-2000s repertoire and often surpassed them in the heaviness department, while the punchy cruiser with more of a lofty edge that is "Derelict" isn't far behind in its usage of kinetic riff work and swift drumming. On the flipside of things, the sad balladry of "Fairytales" does an exemplary job of embodying the lovelorn character of Sonata Arctica's various entries into similar territory to an absolute fault (truth be told, yours truly mistook it for a newer song by said Finnish power metal exemplars upon hearing it out of the context of the rest of the album years back). But the ultimate standout moments of this near perfect sophomore studio entry are the mid-paced bangers "Rust Of Coming Ages" and "Oceans Of Ruby", which are so infectious and powerful in their delivery that they ought be a common fixture of every power metal playlist in existence.

Though at the time both this album and its predecessor were hot topics in power metal circles (to the point where they earned a fair number of detractors among fans of their touring mates Threshold and Kamelot), the present has often found them relegated to the status of SRB rockets that launched Serenity into contention, but have since been largely forgotten. It's understandable to a degree given that they hearken back to an approach to the power/progressive hybrid that seemed more a composite of other well known acts, often being viewed as something similar to Sons Of Seasons or Vision Divine, albeit with a Tony Kakko impersonator. However, when considering the quality of the workmanship put forth on this particular installment, this era can be better understood as a younger band playing in the big leagues and matching, if not surpassing their more seasoned competition. In many ways the albums that would follow this one take on more of a distinctive character, more defined by the fantastical side of the power metal spectrum, but there is an undeniable magic at work here, and it's an album that should definitely be rediscovered by the power metal masses.

A melodic power metal band on the up - 80%

TrooperOfSteel, May 5th, 2011

Austria is rarely mentioned when talking about metal bands, and the only one which comes to mind is symphonic power metal band, Edenbridge. But now, claiming their stake of the big metal pie is melodic power metal band, Serenity.

Serenity was formed in 2001 and released 3 demos in 2002, 2003 and 2005. Napalm Records then picked up this 5-piece band soon after, and in 2007 Serenity released their debut full-length CD, entitled ‘Words untold & dreams unlived’. Their music was primarily progressive power metal with symphonic elements, and the CD seemed quite promising and received positive reviews. Now just 16 months after their debut, Serenity have released their 2nd CD, called ‘Fallen sanctuary’. Already receiving fantastic reviews (which they have slapped on the front page of their website), ‘Fallen sanctuary’ is indeed a top metal release.

With a new CD came a new band logo. And usually when a band changes their logo, they often (slightly) change their musical direction too. This is the case for Serenity, who with ‘Fallen sanctuary’, have become less progressive and more melodic; while the symphonic elements still remain. Going by the great reviews so far for this release, and my own listening experience, their move was a good one.

Helping the band with their 2nd CD, are fellow countryman, Langvall from Edenbridge, who helped with vocal arrangements and recordings; while Everon’s Oliver Phillips did a superb job with the orchestration. Jacob Hansen (Hatesphere, Aborted) lent his talents with the mixing. Finally, Elis vocalist, Sandra Schleret shared vocal duties on the track “Fairytales”.

Serenity’s strong points on ‘Fallen sanctuary’ are definitely the keyboards, orchestration and vocals, which drive every track. That’s not to say that the guitars are weak, but it does feel that they take a secondary role on the CD. There are plenty of catchy hooks, riffs, melodies and solos throughout. With more uptempo tracks (where the band excels) than slower, ballad-esk tracks, you can draw comparisons to bands like Sonata Arctica, Evergrey, Angra, Secret Sphere, Nightwish and Kamelot.

Serenity’s vocalist, Georg Neuhauser is a fantastic singer with great range, power and delivery. His performance on this CD is outstanding; very emotional and very melodic, whether it be an uptempo track or a slower midtempo one. Keyboardist, Mario Hirzinger also does a brilliant job here, his creative keys play an important part in the compositions and song structures. Entangled beautifully with Thomas Buchberger’s guitars, the end result feels so graceful, enchanting and epic at the best of times.

Some standout tracks on ‘Fallen sanctuary’ include “Coldness kills”, “Rust of coming ages”, “To stone she turned”, “All lights reversed” and “Sheltered (By the obscure)”. Overall, there are no real weak tracks on this CD, however I found the last track, “Oceans of ruby” to be quite odd and not flowing with the rest of the CD. The ballad “Fairytales” was also hit and miss in my eyes and is further proof that Serenity’s strength lies in their more uptempo tracks.

This CD was certainly a big surprise to me and I can see why it has been given such grand reviews so far. I can see fans of not only melodic metal enjoying this, but also fans of melodic progressive metal and symphonic metal. Serenity have definitely found their core sound with ‘Fallen sanctuary’ and should further progress with it for their all-important 3rd CD. Highly recommended.

Originally reviewed for www.metalcdratings.com (10/10/08)

I bet they picked this album title out of a hat - 80%

Empyreal, November 19th, 2009

This band has gotten a lot of undeserved flak. Why? Because people wouldn’t know a good Power Metal band if it hit them in the fucking nose, and that’s why I am here. Serenity is an Austrian band playing a very intricate brand of melodic metal that I find quite endearing, if not a bit underdeveloped at this point in time. There’s my thesis, so let’s just dive in and review Fallen Sanctuary.

This band is in the unique position of having a vocalist that sounds exactly like Tony Kakko from Sonata Arctica. That’s pretty much where most of the Sonata Arctica comparisons come from, although the boxy, rattling production job does sometimes call back distant memories of Reckoning Night. Serenity’s compositional style is more in the vein of Kamelot or even the more mellow side of mid-era Symphony X, with romantic, lush keys and refined guitar playing gliding underneath the soaring vocals in a classy manner that will have you listening closely rather than headbanging or singing along – there are many fine details to catch here. I also like how somber and mature this sounds, without any inch of kitsch or immediate gratification. Fallen Sanctuary has razor-sharp hooks, but the band does not hand them to listeners on a silver platter.

There are a lot of good parts on here, and some really fine songs like the charging “Rust of Coming Ages,” the stellar “Coldness Kills,” the searing “Heartblood Symphony,” with its flowing melodies and sizzling choirs, and “Velatum,” with a host of brave symphonics ready to blow your head off in an instant. The punishing “Oceans of Ruby” knocks your teeth out with humongous, booming choirs and a punishing melody that ends the album with class. I’m also quite fond of the ballad “Journey’s End,” which is for some reason a bonus track – why that is, I’m not sure; it’s better than the other ballad on here. It has a really sweet, amiable melody that for some reason I really adore. It always gets stuck in my head and I’m not complaining, as it is a damn good, well written little song.

Serenity’s sophomore effort is a damned solid one. It’s got catchy songs, mature, well-written hooks and melodies and some of the better uses of symphonics I’ve heard out of young bands. Honestly, if not for the slight feeling of directionlessness this album has at times, Fallen Sanctuary sounds like a work by a veteran act on all other counts. It is just the somewhat disoriented feel that the album as a whole suffers from. Sometimes you get the idea that the band didn’t know where they were going; that they just kind of cobbled these songs together without really putting them together in a way that worked. Having good songs goes a long way, but you get the feeling from listening to this that the band, while they have elements of pristine maturity, have not yet reached the point where they can fly on their own yet. Think of Fallen Sanctuary as a sort of learner’s permit for them.

Serenity strikes with full POWER! - 100%

within_darkness, November 12th, 2008

What happens when the classical meets innovation? Last year the answer to my question was given by the Austrian band Serenity and their amazing debut album “Words Untold & Dreams Unlived” – an impressive record that sent them naturally fast to the first place in the top charts for debuts. The occasion for this retrospection is the second album of the band, called “Fallen Sanctuary”, which made almost the impossible and smashed the previous expectations and made them look like something rather funny. Why?

Maybe because I was expecting the previous refined mix between classical power metal and progressive elements which created the beautiful core of the first Serenity album. However, his inheritors’ heart it’s full of even more melody and symphonic sound, while the progressive parts are reduced to a minimum. It’s a fact that the bands with such a musical sound are not just a few anymore, but if you think that Serenity are coming to a close to this mainstream wave in the music industry which seems to be even stronger these days, then you’re in a big mistake. The other interesting side of the record is its fresh sound like the musical style of Kamelot (the fans of Kamelot themselves are going to appreciate “Fallen Sanctuary for sure), but then again, the band members of Serenity has already given a big credit to their inspirations.

Undoubtedly the songs from the new sympho-masterpiece of Serenity are created also with the purpose to sound more accessible to the wide public, but in no case one can neglect the creativity and the original approach through which they are presented. “Fallen Sanctuary” is of this kind of albums in which one can find some part of and for himself, no matter if we’re talking about great symphonic power potential hits as the introductions “All Lights Reversed” and “Rust Of Coming Ages” or about the mentioned Kamelot-sounding spirit, mainly perceived in the song “Coldness Kills”. There are also beautiful compositions like the atmospheric “Velatum” and the truly enchanting “Fairytales” which is a duet with the vocalist Sandra Schleret (Elis, ex-Dreams Of Sanity). One of the other guest musicians is Maggo Wenzel (Tristwood), who brings in the mood of some different death vocals, and the role of the guitarist Lanvall (Edenbridge) is also not to remain unnoticeable – he is in charge of many compositional and vocal arrangements, while Oliver Phillips (Everon) is the man behind the majestic and grandiose orchestrations on the album. The record is full of different elements, completely capable of making each one of the listeners to admire the second work of Serenity which really deserves a serious amount of respect. These days it’s not such a common occasion to see ambitious bands working so hard for their popularity and with a remarkable talent which they demonstrate at their best to all fans of the metal music.

Still it’s better to leave the rest to the music itself, which is not little, not when we’re talking about Serenity. “Fallen Sanctuary” is the absolute evidence, because the album proves all high ratings which the band deserved ever since their debut record and places a request for even higher admirations and expectations for the future. We can only guess what it holds henceforth, but we can be sure that, as the band tells, “Still so many secrets and so many tales untold remain…”

Fallen Serenity! - 28%

Daru_Jericho, September 29th, 2008

A relatively new band, Serenity generated attention here in the UK late last year supporting Kamelot and Threshold, receiving a more than warm applause. ‘Fallen Sanctuary’ is the band’s sophomore effort and the song writing has improved from the band’s debut album ‘Words Untold and Dreams Unlived’.

The music is keyboard-driven symphonic metal with some progressive and power metal influence. The production is sleek and constructive towards the music; the atmospheres are ethereal and the album features an appearance from Elis vocalist Sandra Schleret on the ballad ‘Fairytales’, as well as growls on the track ‘Rust Of Coming Ages’.

‘Coldness Kills’ has a beautiful dreamy soundscape and is catchy song. The solo on ‘To Stone She Turned’ is probably the best on the album, full of excitement and striking the listener hard. ‘The Heartblood Symphony’ features some effective double-bass drumming that stylises the song admirably.

Unfortunately, if Serenity want to build on the positive image they obtained last with their previous full-length, they are in dire need of fresh ideas. Nothing on this album is unique in the slightest, which means those looking for something innovative will probably dislike this. It appears the band released this album too soon and did not have an appropriate number of ideas in stock to flourish over this album.

Originally written for www.soundshock.net

The Sanctuary Has Not Fallen - 80%

Dario_CF, September 20th, 2008

If I had listened to the songs of "Fallen Sanctuary" without staring at the frontcover artwork, I’d swear it was a new album of the excellent Vision Divine with the (unfortunately!) leaving Michele Luppi at the microphone. Or at least a talented debuting band from the typical heavy/prog Italian tradition, on the path of Labyrinth and mates. And instead I was wrong: but only about the geographic origin, since Serenity come from Austria, but the style is the mentioned above, and the songwriting is characterized by a very high level. Making it short, "Fallen Sanctuary" is a huge album as you can hear rarely.

First of all because it owns an elegance of arrangement that many similar releases can only dream of, maybe even better than the late Kamelot as far as orchestrations are concerned, being them thick and omnipresent but without ever weaving some pointless artificial passage. It’s sure Serenity are able to persuade when press the pedal of a melodic heavy ("To Stone She Turned" is a punch) showing an enviable maturity they display in the most progressive refined moments especially. The true surprise is the singing of a vocalist who is gifted with huge interpreting skills, that injects some airy sober melodies into our brains like only the northern bands in the full of their strength can do.

We must repeat it: "Fallen Sanctuary" is a great album. Lanvall of Edenbridge, who took care of the choirs, and Oliver Philipps of Everon, who took care of orchestral parts, grant for them.

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