SERIOUS BLACK – Suite 226 (Album Review)

Surely you can’t be serious?

Serious Black have returned after an 18-month hiatus with the rather tasty Suite 226. This is their fifth full-length release in as many years.

The German/American quartet is made up of Urban Breed (Vocals), Dominik Sebastian (Guitar), Mario Lochert (Bass) and Ramy Ali (Drums).

Their discography is pretty darn storming with albums like 2016’s Mirror World and 2017’s Magic being excellent melodic moments in the maelstrom of metal music.

Suite 226

I have lived with Suite 226 for a few weeks and feel that it is a good solid album, rather than the high-quality rippers we have been used to. It is an album that sprinkles diamonds over rather uneven ground. When it hits a high, like on the sweeping “Castiel”, it is an aural buzz.  However, there is a large smattering of less successful songs, such as “Heaven Shall Burn”.  This should not detract from the quality, but it is difficult to really love this collection.

There are some high spots that should be cherished by fans of Serious Black.  The main strength of the band is the outstanding singing of Urban Breed and the warmth of the production.  I am very partial also to the harmony guitars on “Way Back Home“.  A special word of praise for the keyboards, which give depth to the record and a sheen that is lost on some modern recordings.  The keyboards on “We Still Stand Tall” give it something that makes it a fantastic listen, especially if listening on headphones.

My favourite track on the disc is the wonderful, Marillion-like “Come Home“.  This is an outstanding tune and gives much credibility to the music.  Wonderfully evocative and powerful and well worth the attention it should be given.

Final Thoughts

Quality record, but not as good as a few of their earlier ones.  Give it a listen, but don’t expect the highs to be quite as high as years gone by.

Buy: Amazon (Canada) / Amazon (USA) / Amazon (UK)

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Coxy

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