1026. Serious Black / Magic. 2017. 3/5

It is somewhat out of the ordinary in this day and age for a band to be releasing new albums in consecutive years. Probably not so much from new young bands, whose first album comes out based on material they have been gigging around for years, and suddenly they find they have a mountain of songs they want to get down and get out to the masses. That was the ‘old’ way which rarely seems to reproduce itself in the current music industry. Such then is the surprise about Serious Black’s output since their formation in 2014, ostensibly a combination of musicians from several backgrounds and bands coming together to do some new material. With Magic the band has released their third album in as many years.

There is nothing ground breaking here. They aren’t reinventing the wheel of the power metal genre in any way. But I do think it is fun. I have had this on fairly constant rotation for the past week since its release, and I haven’t tired of it, which has happened to countless other albums of bands I have picked up along the years in this same musical category. Granted, there are times when I think I am listening to the same song over and over again such can be the similarity of the song structure or keyboard riff of vocal properties involved. Like I said, this isn’t the stuff that is meant to create the Next Big Thing in music. But it is harmless enough, and everything fits together nicely. The rhythm section of the wonderful Alex Holzwarth on drums, Mario Lochert on bass and Jan Vacik on keyboards provide the solid base on which the songs are formed. Any album that Alex plays on is automatically better for his presence, the crispness and perfection of his drumming is always a highlight. The dual guitars of Bob Katsionis and Dominik Sebastian are given their freedom to both harmonise together and then have their place with various solo spots throughout the songs, all of which are impressive enough to keep the songs heading in the right direction. Urban Breed’s vocals emit all of the right moves without being extraordinary, but they suit the songs the way they have been written.
So what is it that makes this album what it is? I know it has been bagged in some quarters of the reviews I have read, with some of those people feeling it is either selling out of too childish or without any template to make it a serious album (no pun intended). I would certainly say that if you don’t have a penchant for power metal then you will have trouble finding anything in this release, because not only does it have this in spades, but it also hails back in some way to the hair metal designs of the 1980’s scene, with touches of Europe and Def Leppard and Dokken and other such bands throughout. It’s not an acquired taste as such, more of an album that if you have a certain range of influences you will be able to get the most out of it. Without that correct range of musical tastes it will probably not appeal to you at all.
For what it is worth, I like this album. Since the first time I played it, I enjoyed it. I can have it on in the background to whatever I am doing, and I enjoy having it on. And I think that is where both the beauty and the problem of the album lies. Those going into it looking for majesty and brilliance of the highest levels are listening to the wrong album. This isn’t what this is purporting to be. And I think it is the kind of album that you either like immediately or dismiss immediately, because if it doesn’t catch you on those first couple of listens you are going to cast it aside and go looking for the next album in line. For me, I enjoyed it immediately, for all of those power metal basics that you either love or hate. Apart from Alex’s drumming, the guitar riffs are good, the solos are generally excellent and Breed’s vocals do their job. At an hour in length it is probably a bit long, exacerbated by the similarity of the tracks, and perhaps a more 1980’s album length of 45 minutes would have been appropriate.

In the long run, if you are looking for the next power packed album along the lines of Gamma Ray or Helloween, then you won’t find that here. On the other hand, if you are looking for an album that keeps you entertained for an hour while you are driving the car or at work or in the garden, then this should fit the bill. You might move on to those other bands rather quickly after listening to this, but listening to this won’t be a disappointment if you accept it for what it is.

Rating:  “Tell me now, am I taking it too far?”  3/5

978. Serious Black / Mirrorworld. 2016. 2/5

I came into the first Serious Black album on the coattails of Roland Grapow being involved, and at the end of that first album I hoped for a follow up to judge the progress that could be made from that. That has come to pass with Mirrorworld, but without the continuing presence of Grapow who has moved on back to his other projects. Despite this, I was happy to go forth and give this its chance to grab my attention.

The first mystifying piece of this album is the two minute opening instrumental "Breaking the Silence". If you don't have your stereo up loud enough, you would imagine you have forgotten to press play. It's just a waste. Eventually we come into "As Long As I'm Alive", the opening play of reasonable power metal, driven by guest muso Alex Holzwarth from Rhapsody on drums and Urban Breed's vocals leading the way. Following this solid start comes "Castor Skies" that again leads off with the drums and vocals pushing the song along, before the twin guitar harmonies come within the middle. It's a harmless addition to the catalogue that doesn't raise to any great heights but doesn't offend either. "Heartbroken Soul" cartwheels into power ballad territory, a sure sign that by song three on the album they are already running out of ideas. "Dying Hearts" is probably a dead giveaway in the title, and while it remains on that track it does have a bit more oomph to it that the previous song. "You're Not Alone" creates new hope in the heart however, with a fast paced opening containing true melodic guitars over the double-kick drums and Breed's layered vocals throughout. This is far and away the best song on the album, and one that to me shows the true potential this band has when they do the good things right.
The title track "Mirrorworld" is catchy enough but it is pure AOR without pretense and if you love that style then you should enjoy this song- but for a power metal band I would have been hoping for a bit more grunt behind it. It's a similar story in "State of My Despair", where the drums may be trying liven things up as best they can (thanks Alex Holzwarth) but the rest of the song just sounds... weak. The vocals are almost in the background and certainly not making their presence felt at all, while the rest of the band barely seems to be making an effort. Disappointing. The final track "The Unborn Never Die" moves along a similar track, never really defining itself from the motley of other songs here that just seem to be missing the engine room. And then, almost before you know it, the album is over. And to be honest, it comes as a relief to find there is nothing more to follow.

For those that like their power metal really watered down to the point of being like weak tea, then you will probably get the most out of this album. And I really wanted to like this, because I think both this album and its predecessor has some good things about them. But in the long run, it just can't get past the fact that the vocals are fine but have no power, and the band just doesn't seem inspired enough to put down something with enough individuality to make this stand out from the crowd.

Rating:  "Too many die alone, don't die without a fight". Much like this unfortunately.   2/5

854. Serious Black / As Daylight Breaks. 2015. 3.5/5

The tendency to look for new music for me often comes down to either mates insisting that I must check out this band because they are awesome, or by following artists when they change bands or do a solo project, or, in this case, a side project away from their  major band of occupation. Most tend to be a one-off proposition, which of course hampers the chase for new music to the odd album. Whether or not that becomes the case for Serious Black is yet to be seen, but this debut effort does offer the possibility that it could lead to further releases.

I found Serious Black through guitarist/vocalist Roland Grapow. Roland had first joined Helloween to replace Kai Hansen, which was where I first encountered him. After several good album, of which he contributed to along the way, he moved on to co-found Masterplan, the band he is still the leader of to this day, and whose initial albums are still legendary. So when I read an article that he had become a piece of this so-called 'supergroup' I went out of my way to track it down.
The one thing I can say with certainty is that you won't find anything new here. That doesn't make it poor, it just means that all of those elements that make a typical power metal album are all here. In effect, if you enjoy power metal, you are more than likely going to enjoy this album. If you do not enjoy power metal, then nothing here will likely change your view on it.
As always, the faster paced, drum and guitar packed songs are the ones I enjoy most here. The opening tracks "I Seek No Other Life" and "High and Low" express the best of this kind of music. They are fast, significant drumming from veteran Thomen Stauch, the keyboards from Jan Vacik prominent but not overbearing, while the guitaring of Roland is just superb. "Sealing My Fate" doesn't quite live up to the opening expectations, before the instrumental "Temple of the Sun" returns to a better innovation within the album. "Akhenaton" features the best of Urban Breed's vocals (yep, that's his name...), they really soar here and showcase his great range and power. "My Mystic Mind" draws its roots from Roland's writing, as it sounds like it could be a Masterplan song. Once again, it's fast and powerful with amazing vocals. "Trail of Murder" follows a familiar path with the keyboards taking centre stage on this shift.
You can take it to the bank that the title track for me is a complete album killer. Power ballads, they are just the bane of my existence, and "As Daylight Breaks" fits right in that category of the massive mood killers. Everything has been going so well, fast paced power metal in the best sense, and then we throw this track into the mix. Well, there's no power here, just quietly spoken lyrics over keyboards, before progressing to the powderpuff heart of the song. Ugh ugh ugh.
"Setting Fire to the Earth" returns us back to middle ground, the pace reels itself back up a notch, though it is the synth and harmony vocals that dominate this song rather than the guitars of Dominik Sebastian and Roland and the drums of Thomen. "Listen to the Storm" sails a bit too close to going down that ballad track for me to be completely at ease with it, while the closing track "Older and Wiser" regains any lost ground, ending the album on a high note.

Overall, apart from any misgivings about the ballad styled tracks deposited here, this is an impressive debut for this gathering of musicians. As mentioned earlier, whether or not this becomes a group that produces multiple releases will be for the future to decide, but the debut effort gives every confidence that if they did, they could only improve on the base they have created here.

Rating:  When all the seasons come undone, I shall rise again.  3.5/5