Serious Black
Rise Of Akhenaton – AFM Records
Metal musicians are a strange breed; putting several famous names together is no guarantee of success, and case in point is international act Serious Black. They’ve a chequered discography, thanks in no small part to an ever rotating line-up, but now the band have entered a period of stability they have an air of rebirth surrounding them and it’s helped them create a career-defining album in the shape of Rise Of Akhenaton. This is the second album for this incarnation of Serious Black (but their sixth overall) and it feels as if the band are happy in their own company and it has given them the confidence to spread their wings. While it’s true that they aren’t reinventing the wheel, there’s a vim and vigour on display here that was missing from their previous album. Those soaring vocals (and guitars) are very much in evidence, as is the dynamic rhythm section, only now they are utilised in new ways which finds rockers nestling next to ballads and power metal anthems sitting beside symphonic stompers, all of which are stitched together by the bands signature sound. Rise Of Akhenaton is a satisfying listen from start to finish and one which finds Serious Black rising like the proverbial phoenix.
Review By Peter Dennis