Seraphim - The Equal Spirit
Arise Records
Operatic Power / Speed Metal
12 songs (62'47)
Release year: 2003
Seraphim, Arise Records
Reviewed by Marty
Surprise of the month
This is the second release from Seraphim, their first release being last year's Soul Never Dies. This band calls Taiwan home and it just goes to show that metal is universal with bands emerging from the most unlikeliest of places. Their lead vocalist, Pay, is an opera trained singer who brings an angelic and operatic style to the songs. The combination of the female vocals and some Children Of Bodom-like Death Metal scowls and growls on some tracks by Jax, the bass player, really brings bands like After Forever to mind. The angelic / demonic duet style that those sorts of bands use is explored here as well. Obvious Nightwish comparisons are inevitable as soon as you hear Pay's voice, but her style and the musical style of this band are very different.

Musically, this band is simply brilliant. It's more of a speedy German Power Metal sound than others in the same genre. The production is crystal clear and almost perfect. Double bass drumming is fast and furious on most tracks as are plenty of ripping Power Metal riffs that really takes you back to the classic Helloween and older Blind Guardian days. The riffing and guitar playing is much more intense than found with other bands of similar stature (Nightwish, Edenbridge, After Forever). Lots of great fast and very melodic leads and lead fills grace many of the songs on this album. Tempo changes are aplenty as well with lots of different musical styles explored, often in the same song. Some tracks move from slow orchestrated progressive styles to speedy fast Power Metal only to change mid-song into a more Dark Tranqillity style Swedish Death Metal complete with the sinister vocals. This is certainly a very unpredictable band! A few tracks even feature a more True Metal style of riffing but once again, those aspects are short-lived as the band changes tempos and vocal styles, often completely changing the whole tone and feel of the song in an instant. Keyboards are used throughout and the use of choirs and some orchestration gives a few tracks a more epic feel but for the most part, the guitar driven Power Metal style pretty much dominates their sound.

I feel I should discuss the vocals for this band. Pay has a very soft soothing voice but doesn't seem to have the power and vocal delivery style that would so greatly improve the sound of this band. Most bands who use female vocalists, don't really play the sort of speedy Power Metal that his band does (except maybe for Dark Moor). The female voice seems to compliment the more operatic Nightwish style sound as well as for bands in the Gothic Metal genre. The riffing, intense drumming and overall solid sound of Seraphim often seems to be competing with Pay's voice. Instead of complimenting each other, they seem to be of such stark contrast that it just doesn't work in some cases. I found myself not really listening to her voice after a couple of listens to this album. Not only is it almost impossible to understand what she's singing, the music is so good and so exciting that you start to tune her out. This album is worth the investment just for the music alone. When Jax comes in with his growls and scowls, you feel the intensity and energy level instantly heighten as it fits the musical style more. But, I don't feel that his style fits into the sound of this band as it is in too much of a sharp contrast to Pay's vocals. I think that this band needs to decide how to proceed in the future. If there had been standard Power Metal style vocals used on this album, I think it would've been a stunning album and one of the better Power Metal releases from last year for sure. The mix of operatic and Death Metal vocals with the Power Metal sound presents too many contrasts.

If the band continues with the same approach, I'm hoping that Pay will mature and improve her vocal skills, not as a vocalist in general, but as a vocalist in a Heavy Metal band. She just doesn't sound "comfortable" with singing this style of music and it weakens the overall sound of the band. The riffing, guitar playing and drumming is superb and I think is much more impressive than what Nightwish presented us with on their Century Child album. That was an amazing album and one of my top picks of the year but do you remember any really great charging Power Metal riffs or ripping lead solos from that album? The vocals, at the moment, are the only weak spot for this band. Pay's voice seems to soften the sound of this band too much and her voice takes a while to get used to, but it's the music of this band that is the real highlight and a pleasure to listen to. Songwriting and arrangements are exciting, unpredictable and very good all around. I can't wait to hear what this band has to offer in the future. The whole thing could work as is with the present line-up, but work is needed on Pay's vocal delivery style. With improvements in that department, this band is capable of great things in the future.

Killing Songs :
Think This World, Pride Of Twilight, Last Memory and The Equal Spirit
Marty quoted 78 / 100
Other albums by Seraphim that we have reviewed:
Seraphim - Ai reviewed by Marty and quoted 85 / 100
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