Greece has had a vibrant extreme metal scene, and then a pretty good heavy/stoner rock scene. Maybe it’s time for another branch to flourish, because albums like ‘Redefine’, or the debut by Sixfornine a couple of years ago, prove that we can enjoy quality hard rock/alt metal/grunge records from domestic bands.
I realized that Serenity Broken are one of those groups that just ‘got it’ upon first listening to ‘Commercial Suicide’ back in 2012. Its successor is just as good, maybe even better. The band’s main quality is the only thing that should really matter; good songwriting. These are real songs, with catchy melodies and a performance full of personality by singer Aris. ‘Boom!’ is a great introduction to Serenity Broken’s music but I believe the best moments here are towards the end. ‘Deadlock’ comes to mind, as well as ‘Just Live’, that has the best chorus on the album, and ‘Join the Hated’, which starts off with a riff that is distantly related to ‘Phobos’ Synagogue’ by Rotting Christ. The production is stellar once again, and on the drums, is George Kollias, who strips down his playing and adjusts it to the Serenity Broken style.
While waiting to hear the vocal melodies Corey Taylor came up with on the new Stone Sour record, and learn when new Alice in Chains music comes out, crank up ‘Redefine’.
