CoC : Serenade - The Serpent's Dance : Review

Serenade - _The Serpent's Dance_
(Golden Lake Prod., 2002)
by: Quentin Kalis (7.5 out of 10)

While _The Serpent's Dance_ has undeniable roots in the grief-stricken and doomy death of early Anathema or My Dying Bride, Serenade are much more than simply a clone of either band: _TSD_ rarely extends beyond the comfortable confines of the doomy death genre, but Serenade have nevertheless managed to create their own distinctly mournful sound. Atmospheric touches abound, enhancing the mournful feel of the album, although there are a few occasions when these atmospheric touches fail, most notably on "The March of Darkness", where the emergence of shrill keyboards about a minute into the song ruins what would have otherwise been a great song. But for the most part, the atmospheric elements do enhance the song. Stand out tracks include the aggressive "Dying Light" and the evocative final track, "Nevermore". On the downside, the quality of the album is rather patchy, with some songs, like the aforementioned, being powerful, memorable numbers, while others are relatively bland and doomed to well-deserved obscurity. Overall, the scales are tipped towards the good songs and Serenade are one of the better bands from this genre.

Contact: http://www.goldenlakeprods.co.uk

(article published 1/9/2002)

ALBUMS
11/18/1996	A Gaudrault	6	Serenade - The 28th Parallel