Scream Serenity: Eye Of The Storm

A new four piece from Lowestoft, England, Scream Serenity arrive selling themselves short through making comparisons to the usual suspects, such as Alter Bridge, Shinedown and Black Stone Cherry. Don't get me wrong, those bands are all tremendous and Scream Serenity do take influences from them. However with that market brimming to overflow proportions, that this lot offer so much more is maybe where the focus should lie.

Adding in a harsher sound that brings Stone Sour into the equation, Scream Serenity also provide a much more commercial slap in the area of backing vocals and melodies, meaning there's also a nod to the 80s running throughout debut album Eye Of The Storm. "Enough" is maybe the best example of both ends of this spectrum, the album's thickest, meatiest riff careening into view, before huge gang vocals power through the chorus. With a lyric that's anti-organised religion but most keenly focused on Muslim extremism, there's a real mix of ideas, attacks and themes in this five minute track and it makes for a truly memorable experience. Here, and elsewhere, the vocals from, I'm guessing, Jordan Fennell (he, co-guitarist Ian Maxwell and bassist James Golder are all credited with their instruments first and vocals second – and layered vocals are a feature throughout – but Fennell wrote all the lyrics, so I'm going with it being him leading from the front) are just a little too gruff and a little too shouty to truly make a mark, no matter what style the band are going for. He's good and capable, but the clear vox are intentionally restrained while the more full on sections focus on effort over precision. They fare best on the mid-paced stomp of "Better Off", which carries a catchy guitar melody by way of a calling card, whereas the Shinedown like staccato bursts of "The Best Of The Worst" find the vocals adding a Nickelback air to proceedings – not that there's anything wrong with that. "Good Business" does likewise but with a less stop start attack things run along without the obvious aggression, but possibly possess a more underlying threat. Although the electro-acoustic "Runaway" illustrates nicely that this outfit can also operate in a smoother, if still biting manner.

Possessing just enough to make their offer ever so slightly different Scream Serenity certainly show that they can craft a song and utilise a few different stances to get their message across. There are a few rough edges along the way, but it is early days and those uncertainties will undoubtedly be smoothed off as time goes on. With a sound that offers at least a slightly individual take on what is becoming an overly worn approach, if they can build on that side of things, then Scream Serenity might just go the distance.

Track Listing
1. The Best of the Worst 
2. Good Business 
3. Save Yourself 
4. Run Away 
5. Eye of the Storm 
6. Enough 
7. Better Off 
8. Nowhere Town 
9. Waiting for the Answers 
10. Rest (After the Storm)

Added: March 10th 2018
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Scream Serenity online
Hits: 1253
Language: english

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