#VAGABONDZREVIEW: DEAD SERENITY – EVANECENT
- Dec 9, 2022
- 5 min read
Greetings everyone! It's a review time again, and this time I'm going to share a really special band with you.
Today, I'm going to tell you about Dead Serenity coming from Finland. The band has just released their second single from upcoming debut album. But before you dip into my endless thoughts and ideas, I suggest you check out the band's bio.
BIO
Dead Serenity is a 5-piece founded in 2018. On their music the band focuses on strong melodies. On lyrics they let the full scale of human emotions and behavior carry the music from an atmosphere to another - from sensibility to ecstasy and from distress to aggression.
The band released their debut EP "Beginnings" in 2020 and the first full length "When Worlds Turn To Gray" follows early 2023.
The album was recorded, mixed and mastered by Dead Serenity's guitarist and main composer Toni Lind. Graphics and lyric video is created by Jonas Eriksson.
Finnish melancholic melodic death metal band Dead Serenity has released second single from their upcoming debut album. The song Evanecent is drawing inspiration from the presence of Death and the disintegration of close relationships. It's a bittersweet expression of a search for meaning in life from which all light has been drained. Perfect for cold, dark nights when contemplating life, death and lost love.
Dead Serenity is a 5-piece founded in 2018. On their music the band focuses on strong melodies. On lyrics they let the full scale of human emotions and behavior carry the music from an atmosphere to another - from sensibility to ecstasy and from distress to aggression.
The band released their debut EP "Beginnings" in 2020 and the first full length "When Worlds Turn To Gray" follows early 2023.
The album was recorded, mixed and mastered by Dead Serenity's guitarist and main composer Toni Lind. Graphics and lyric video is created by Jonas Eriksson.
Now it's review time!
The song comes to life in a pretty slow, joyful manner flavored with a pinch of grief that immediately grabs your attention and engages you into listening; I’m already expecting for some massive outcome of such peaceful beginning… and here it comes – delightful, lively and powerful. And undoubtedly written in best traditions of Finnish heavy metal.
Since the beginning of Evanecent bring both joyful and melancholic feelings, I need to make a note that it’s the feature of genuine Finnish spirit blooming in every piece of music born in Finland. It appears for me to have been extremely fascinated by this band and sound so far. The first and the brightest association I can make is HIM. Why, you ask?
What made me think about HIM music when I’d heard the beginning of Evanecent was undoubtedly the moving combination of keyboard melody and kick, share and crash. Those instruments I’ve mentioned create the strong basement for the song, being the main mood driver and epicenter of emotions. The heaviness and stability of guitars work perfect to add up to the burning fire that sparkles so luminously already in the beginning of Evanecent. And I’m yearning to hear the vocals now.
The first association reached me after I’ve heard the vocals is again Ville Valo and his ex-band HIM. One of my top favorites, just to let you know. To build better impression of Evanecent, I need to name a HIM’s song where Ville used similar vocal technique; it’s Wicked Game (Chris Isaak cover) and Gone With The Sin (verse parts where Ville sings lower). The vocalist’s skill is outstanding, incredibly deep and fulfilled with melancholy and serenity diving the song deeper into feelings. To be mentioned, the style of verse is built similar to HIM’s – with stable drums and clean guitars as a basement of the sound, and vocals as a core element that dominates the entire sound of the song.
Dead Serenity can surprise! After the peacefulness and of course serenity I’ve dip into, the after-verse part starts sharply kicking with pure melodic death metal that seriously takes over my feelings. I’m impressed with the vocalist technique after transition from clean to growl – it’s a rare case when vocalist manages to operate both techniques in a proper way and do it with feeling. What lights this part up even more is the massive and sharp guitars sound that came to live as the growls arrived. They complement each other in a high degree as the accent is now put on rougher side.
The melodics are back in chorus that makes me tremble with the feelings it expresses. The power concentrated there is boundless and joyful as the melodics took advantage. The chorus is based on intro melody that now got greatly empowered by drums that are the main cause for trembling feelings to have arrived. It’s the best of a chorus I’ve heard in a while.
The second verse extends and prolongs the feeling of serenity to Evanecent then abrupt by rougher part when growls and heavy guitars are domination over the song structure. I must notice the great role played by keys in the heavier part – they aren’t dominating as they do in melodic parts but still making a great effect to point out some disturbing and even anxious feelings taking over that part. When melodic chorus sets its course for brighter and hopeful side of the song, I feel that Evanecent is the new song that impresses me a great deal. I would undoubtedly attend their live show to hear those amazing transitions from beautiful melodies and dominating growls. It’s totally my cup of tea.
The fact that convinces me even more to love Evanecent is the breaking transition from the chorus to guitar solo. What I find fascinating here is the arrival of guitars while the vocalist’s still singing. That transition is mild and pretty satisfying for a melody lover like me, because higher notes played on guitar are surely added up to feelings.
The guitar solo represents the melodic part of Evanecent reinforcing that even more. Fast and kicking drums is another element that makes this part of a song radiant and alive. Although the solo isn’t enriched with advanced techniques as alternate or sweep picking, it represents a greater pallet of feeling than any shred and complex solo does. Simplicity is a key to perfect.
When I hear the growls are back to life, I notice the mind-blowing effect they gave to Evanecent. Being a bridge between hopefulness and aggression, they enrich the song with power, stability and firmness it needed since two melodic parts in a row. This element (guitar solo + growls) makes me think of Insomnium as their songs include a great variety of similar elements. Being my top favorite part of a song, I’m always waiting for such breaking moments that inspire me so damn much. Until the end of the song I keep enjoying the transitions between cleans and growls, solos and melodies… The last breath of Evanecent was a bit unexpected with guitars firmly taking over melodies and operating. Must be amazing transition to the next song that will be the part of upcoming album.
Everything In Complex
Evanecent is one of the most beautiful songs I’ve recently heard. The things helping me make my choice for Evanecent are high-level sound production (that is one of the keys of a nice record), outstanding production (song structure with transitions between clean and growl, smooth song part changes) and top of the range vocals technique. Evanecent is the song you shouldn’t LISTEN to but FEEL as long as it hides curious and catchy elements across the structure. Haven’t heard such amazing work for a while. Really looking forward to the entire album to be released in 2023 to make a fuller impression of Dead Serenity and their music.
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