by Sebastian Kluth
Par kluseba
Seraphim are a very solid symphonic metal band from Taiwan that focuses on strong and very professional female lead vocals as well as some death growls, many guitar harmonies and solos and only a couple of keyboards to focus on a rather vivid sound that gets heavier towards the end of the record that features surprisingly great riffs. As far as I know, the record exists in two versions with Mandarin and English lyrics. If you get the Mandarin version, you surely have an exotic and rare to find gem from the Asian market that sounds rather interesting. If you get your hands on a copy with English lyrics, you will realize that the sound of this band is very close to the leaders of symphonic metal in Europe as Edenbridge, Epica or Within Temptation and that the lyrics are well pronounced.
The problem of the record is that it kicks off with two rather mediocre tracks after a short interlude where the vocals sound thin and the riffs exchangeable. But as the record progresses, the music improves and "Immortal Silence" or "永恆的沉默" is the first highlight of the record and even my favourite song on the entire album. The female vocals sound very fresh and positive while the male death vocals are energizing and build a strong and addictive contrast which creates a very atmospheric, diversified and dynamic flow. Happiness meets darkness in this genre highlight and apart of the great vocal performances, the song features some very emotional guitar solos.
Other highlights on this record are without a doubt "The Soul That Never Dies" or "不死魂" with its great bass guitar lines and a lot of progressive changes of style. One must also mention the epic "Mind's Sky" that starts as a slow and atmospheric ballad before it gets a little bit heavier but always comes back to a refreshing laid back sound as in the addicting middle part that is dominated by acoustic guitars for example.
In the end this is one of the better records out of many albums that were riding on the wings of the popularity of the symphonic metal genre around bands like Nightwish. From a technical point of view, the female singer comes close to the standards of Nightwish and Edenbridge and the growls are also enjoyable for those who like bands like Atargatis or Eternal Tears Of Sorrow. Musically, it's enjoyable that the band focuses on the guitar and not too much on sound effects and overwhelming orchestral elements. The record sounds down to earth and gets very energizing towards the end. There are still some fillers on the album. The band might improve their transitions in the epic tracks and get a more progressive touch. On the other side, I would like them to simply focus on their short and sweet songs, work on some catchier choruses and keep their sound tight. I will definitely try out more records from this band and may recommend this record to fans of grounded and honest symphonic metal music without too much drama.
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