Album Review: Serenity - The Last Knight

There are some bands that are deeply frustrating, because you know they have the potential to be great, and they consistently fail to deliver. Serenity is one of those bands. From the first time I heard them with the "Fallen Sanctuary" album, right through today, every record they have put out has had a handful of amazing songs, and the rest of the album comes across as filler. They have tried various guest vocalists and lyrical conceits, but the problem remains consistent. They are one of those bands I know I'm always going to be on the fence about.

In fact, after the last album left me rather cold, I wasn't expecting to cover another of theirs (if circumstances gave me enough content to do so), but I do try to give everyone a fair shake, so I listened to the two singles put out for this new effort. And much to my amazement, they were back to being the Serenity I like the most, and even if they turned out to be the highlights of the record, they were enough to draw me back in.

At their best, Serenity play power metal of the dramatic kind. The keyboards and orchestral sounds give the songs the scope and setting of a fantasy epic, as this time the album seems centered around medieval knights, so we get yet more power metal songs about swords and steel. I'll say this; I'm rather tired of the projection metal bands put forward of themselves as knights, warriors, etc. You're musicians, and there's nothing heroic about playing a guitar. Swinging a sword for any purpose besides self-defense isn't exactly heroic either, but moral examination isn't something I expect to be found in metal albums.

Georg Neuhauser remains a polarizing vocalist, with one of the most nasal voices in the genre. I don't mind him, and he certainly gives the band a sound unique from everyone else. That also made a certain 'mystery' band from not too long ago not much of one, but that's an unnecessary diversion. At his best, Georg gives the band big, strong hooks that his voice is able to maximize. "Set The World On Fire", one of those aforementioned singles, is exactly that. The chorus comes in with a dramatic swell and stomping energy, but it also has a melodic sheen so polished it only needs one play to become familiar. It's a gem of a song, no doubt.

As for that problem I mentioned, this is finally the record where they have solved it. The song I singled out already is one of the best ones here, but the rest of the album stands up to that high bar with aplomb. "Souls And Sins" boasts a massive hook, while "Keeper Of The Knights" has plenty of charm of its own. Serenity is adept at making their music sound bigger than it actually is, which they continue here. The ten main songs on the album are all roughly four minutes long, with no surprises along the way, but the record feels more expansive than that. Being compact but sounding widescreen is an interesting combination we don't often get to hear.

What those last two paragraphs are saying is that after years of being teased, Serenity has finally reached their potential. "The Last Knight" is, to my ears, the best album they've yet made. This is the best distillation of who they are and what they do given to us yet. From a few heavier moments, to the tavern sing-along "Queen Of Avalon", everything the band throws at us works in the context of this record. It's not exactly 'relatable', but power metal has never really been that.

So I'll say this; "The Last Knight" will never become a true favorite of mine, because there isn't anything in the subject matter for me to use as a mirror or a therapy, but it is a great record in a time when power metal has very few of them, and it's a ton of fun to listen to. Serenity has finally hit the bulls-eye, and "The Last Knight" is the first great album of 2020.