Ten years of Serious Black, ten years of deeply melodic power metal with a licence to create anthems: Since they got together in 2014, the band have wowed their fans not only with five studio albums, but also with acclaimed concerts and festival appearances around the globe. Serious Black are set to celebrate their milestone birthday with their latest release: Their sixth studio album ‘Rise Of Akhenaton’ will be out on AFM Records from 27 September 2024, supported by a European tour alongside Sonata Arctica and Firewind. Serious Black are easing the wait until the arrival of their new recording with three lead singles including lavish video clips, the first of them being the uptempo ‘Metalised’ at the end of May, which will combine all the strengths of this first-rate band with its powerful guitar riffing, dynamic drum/bass base and catchy anthemic tunes.
Not only ‘Metalised’, but all eleven songs on the new album prove that Serious Black have returned to their stylistic beginnings, while at the same time sounding more varied than ever on ‘Rise Of Akhenaton’, not least thanks to the state-of-the-art production courtesy of Lochert and Bob Katsionis. Their previously slightly stronger focus on progressive elements has changed in favour of more catchy arrangements, and in 2024 Serious Black’s classic, straightforward power metal which had the band make a name for itself has returned. “The return to what set our first recordings apart from other acts was already apparent on our previous album ‘Vengeance Is Mine’,” Lochert explains the band’s natural evolvement, adding: “Since joining the fold three years ago, our singer Nikola Mijic has turned out to be the perfect choice. His expressive voice and intuitive feel for great melodies have added more clarity and a more direct approach to our material.”
Lochert is referring to ‘We Are The Storm’, which is about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and culminates in the line: “We are the storm, we bring the pain, part of the army where the chaos reigns.” ‘Take Your Life’ with its singalong potential and the catchy ‘Shields Of Glory’, featuring a chorus reminiscent of Rainbow, also document the development of the band’s musical skills. The soulful ballad ‘When I'm Gone’ follows Serious Black’s long tradition, while the title track with its oriental influences brings to mind ‘Akhenaton’ from their 2015 debut ‘As Daylight Breaks’. Last but not least, the Toto cover ‘I Will Remember’, dedicated to Lochert’s recently deceased father, has a special meaning for the guitarist: “This number stands for the great things we have achieved and experienced as a band, which will remain in our memories should we ever – for whatever reason – lose touch with each other.”
Hopefully many more years will go by until that day arrives, especially as one thing is obvious: The high chart position of ‘Vengeance Is Mine’ (number 16 of the German album charts) has inspired Serious Black to grow even further in every respect, as ‘Rise of Akhenaton’ proves beyond doubt.