From their EPK, “Open Wide, O Hell” is also variably written and comes up with a good dose of surprises. The basis of the album still lies in melodic death metal, which is associated with the East German band founded in 1998. But a black metal impact is also to be attributed to the new song material and changes the musical face decisively. Besides, impressive melodies continue to lead FALL OF SERENITY through their songs.” The new album has twelve songs.

“Thy Pathway” is first. It has a fairly heavy and aggressive presence, with throaty vocals and blast beat drums, and the guitar work is intricate. “I Command” has a MOTORHEAD sound to it at first, you know, that ballsy, energetic type of sound, but it has twice the power. So far, the pedal is pushed to the floor firmly, although the song isn’t without a bit of melody. “I Don’t Expect I Shall Return” has a slower entrance and then explodes like a bomb going off. Snippets of melody keep it just within the Melodic Death Metal realm, but they are not the mainstay on the album. “Wastelands” has a steady linear sound with vocals done two ways—higher pitched, and lower gutturals, and the main riff has a groove to it.

“I” is a short, slow and steady melancholy piece, connecting the first half of the album with the second. “Chaos Reign” is another heavy and aggressive song with a side of darkness to go along with the main course of meat and potatoes. When the band talks about a mix of Black Metal thrown in, you can hear that in this song. “A Winter Song” successfully melds the three genres that the album is built on…Melodic, Death, and Black. Some of the melodic moments could be a little stronger, but the blackened elements give it a filthy edge. “To Tear the Flesh” comes out of the gates with thick bass notes followed by another heavy riff, as well as some guitar harmonies. “II” closes the album; another mysterious short song.

Melodic Death Metal is one of those genres that has become overgrown with bands lately. As I see it, there are two ways to separate yourself from your peers…either go harder, or go more melodic. This bans leans towards the former of the two, because many of their melodies are subdued. The more “pedal to the floor” type of sound makes sense, when you consider their introduction, but I don’t hear a lot of surprises. It’s a good album, however, but could be better if the band did supply more surprises.