SERIOUS BLACK – Vengeance Is Mine (2022)

International metallers SERIOUS BLACK return with a new album, “Vengeance Is Mine“, to be released this weekend. One of the new songs is called ‘Album Of Our Life’ and its titled hits the nail on the head in several aspects. On the one hand, the band founded by bassist Mario Lochert has succeeded in creating what is probably the most powerful and imaginative work of its career so far, with loads of great guitar riffs, grooving rhythms and anthemic melodies.
On the other hand, the album’s lyrics venture into territories previously uncharted by the band, reflecting the member’s past four years personal experiences resulting more mature, intense and emotional.

In addition to the private insight of the band’s soul, another new aspect came into play: Nikola Mijić, a powerful vocalist from Serbia, has recently become the front man of the band. Mijić is the successor to Urban Breed, who separated from the band in spring 2021.
And so has at last come together what belongs together – in Serious Black: Nikola Mijić’s expressive timbre, the rapid riffs and hooks of the guitarists Dominik Sebastian and Bob Katsionis, the driving grooves of drummer Ramy Ali with bassist and producer Mario Lochert.
Due to these elements and on top the collective diverse songwriting, ‘Vengeance Is Mine’ has turned into a prime example of a deeply melodic and at the same time powerfully dynamic metal album.

‘Vengeance Is Mine‘ is an album full of the melodious metal bombast for which the band has been known with some of the best songs the band has ever recorded. It opens up with lead single ‘Rock With Us Tonight’, not the most lyrically groundbreaking song, but what it lacks in originality it makes up for in craftmanship as the band showcases its tightness and ferocity. The kind of song that makes you feel the title and believe in their cause.
From there, the album takes you for quite a ride.

‘Out of the Ashes’, ‘Fallen Hero’, and ‘Senso Della Vita’ (which translates to “Meaning of Life” but sounds better when sung in Italian) follow next in order and all these songs show the band to be in top form. Powerful, melodic vocals with heavy riffs to match.
‘Tonight I’m Ready to Fight’ is a truly kick-ass endeavor. Strumming a closed E power chord is very ‘classic’ but there’s a reason it’s in so many songs, it just sounds great. When incorporated into a song like this with a strong, steady beat and lyrics about fighting, it’s perfection.

‘Soldiers of Eternal Light’ adds some power metal components with chants to open the song, choral vocal effects in a chorus and a smattering of double bass thrown in for good measure.
Finally, there’s the metal ballad ‘The Story’, a wedding song for metal heads who hate wedding songs. It could arguably be considered the strongest song on the album. The song sounds similar to Avantasia with its theatrical, varying tempos. It conveys heartfelt emotion that is quite different from every other song and showcases Nicola’s best vocal performance.

New singer Nikola Mijić brings new life to Serious Black. Your love for this album may depend on singer preferences and some may say that this album does not have the Serious Black sound. We don’t hold legacy grudges and tend to judge songs and albums on their own merits.
We can say unequivocally that this new Serious Black CD is simply a very good melodic metal album.
Highly Recommended

01 – Rock with Us Tonight
02 – Out of the Ashes
03 – Fallen Hero
04 – Senso Della Vita
05 – Ray of Light
06 – Soul Divider
07 – Tonight I’m Ready to Fight
08 – Just for You
09 – Soldiers of Eternal Light
10 – The Story
11 – Queen of Lies
12 – Album of Our Life
13 – Alea Iacta Est

Mario Lochert – Bass
Dominik Sebastian – Guitars
Ramy Ali – Drums
Nikola Mijić – Vocals

Pre order:
www.amazon.co.uk/Vengeance-Mine-Serious-Black/dp/B09GCVQCYH