Serenius – Cocoon (2017)

Delivering over 50 minutes of brilliantly crafted Death Metal with tons of melodic undertones, today we have France’s Serenius and their third full-length release “Cocoon”. In a day and age when most band are moving their Death Metal sound to feature either Core or Progressive elements, it is quite cool to hear a band keeping the old-school style alive by injecting some energy into it, but keeping the essence intact.

After the album opens with the crushing “World”, the band wastes no time in keeping the momentum going and delivers the high-octane “Identity”. This very melodic song is one of our favorites, and will surely get the headbanging started with its pace and brilliant guitar work. “The Shell” and “Shadows of Misery” continue the onslaught with even more catchier and craftier tracks that showcase the band’s musical range and the wide variety of unique ideas they incorporate into their music.

Giving a certain Djent-esque vibe, “Business of Fear” is definitely one of our favorite tracks thanks to its crafty guitar riffs and intricate drum patterns. The band’s guitarists keep things very interesting and filled with memorable riffs and leads, as found on songs like “Hate by all Means”, the super mellow “Core Depths” and the headbanging anthem “Papers”. Switching things up, the atmospheric elements of “D.M.P.” change the mood a bit, while providing a richer and more unique experience.

Closing with the acrobatics of “Infinity”, the band wraps up the release with a very engaging and intricate song that showcases their creativity and skills. We are quite impressed with how mature Serenius sound is and how well they execute on tracks that are engaging and never sound too much like one another. If you are looking for a mixture of old-school Death Metal like Grave and Entombed, with more melodic influences like Dark Tranquility, look no further and get a copy of “Cocoon”.

Label: Unsigned

Release: May 12th, 2017

Genre: Death Metal

Country: France