Some weeks ago, I interviewed Cobra Spell’s vocalist Kris Vega. It is not her only band, I was already aware of Born In Exile, but she also told me about her third band, SerapiS Project, together with guitarist Joaco Luis. This conceptual progressive metal project released its first album in autumn 2023. I gave it a listen. I liked it, so here we are with the belated review of “Palingenesis”.
Palingenesis
The album is divided into eight acts, not songs. “Songs” would be the wrong and simplistic way to describe what we are about to hear.
Act I: Defiance
Acoustic guitar strums and some bass notes lead into the first very complex track. Heavy guitar and clean vocals take over. And then there is a break, single guitar notes, whispered vocals continue and are flooded by a streak of heavy melodies until they lead us to a guitar solo and another change of tempo. Kris’ vocals dominate the last part of the song and then it is time to swing out.
Act II: Dissidence
It continues with progressive guitar chords. Clean vocals come in, the act speeds up, slows down. There are more notes in one song, no, one act, than other bands use in a whole album. The chorus is somehow catchy, although it is hard to find a continuous beat.
Act III: Wistfulness
More acoustic, very “Spanish” guitars at the beginning of the third act are followed by Kris’ fantastic vocals. The whole act sounds very narrative and like a part of a musical or an opera. It builds up a tension that is almost unbearable until rough guitars come in and support Kris through the rest of the act without dominating her. An acoustic chord ends the story.
Act IV: Vengeance
We get faster, nearly like progressive speed metal. And then we slowdown from top speed to low speed in less than a second, just to speed up again. Very confusing and certainly nothing to just listen to on the side, full concentration is necessary.
Act V: Greatness
Some kind of bongo percussion and a spaceship sound lead to a hard guitar riff and very demanding vocals. Kris plays out her full range with ease, as if she never does anything else. The guitar work doesn’t lag behind. It is with great pleasure that I can confirm that this gem is a four-minute masterpiece.
Act VI: Reminiscence
The next act begins a little more slowly. What a contrast to the previous act. It is very simple, very harmonic and very acoustic until the moment when the heavy guitar takes control and leads the act to its end.
Act VII: Leap in the Dark
We listen to a slow and mysterious beginning. We stay acoustic and we all wait for the guitar explosion like in the previous songs, but the only thing that explodes is the vocal skill of Kris and the acts fade out.
Act VIII: Palingenesis
The final act of Palingenesis and the title track begins again with acoustic guitar chords. What follows is an exceptional piece of progressive metal that builds slowly until the climax. Once again, the tension is almost unbearable until the chord almost breaks and an acoustic outro snaps back into place. Great, just great!
What should I say?
Palingenesis is probably the most progressive album I’ve ever reviewed. Personally, I am a bit overwhelmed by its complexity. Palingenesis is a very, very progressive and intellectual album. It oscillates between minimalist, acoustic, clean vocal passages and powerful, heavy riffs with harsh vocals. That’s the strength of this contrasting album with its storytelling, recurring melodies and lyrics. These are the key elements and gears of this musical engine. I hope that many metal heads will become aware of SerapiS Project and Palingenesis. The band and the album deserve attention and recognition. Give it a try, it is worth it.
Short Facts
Palingenesis
Release date: September 16th 2023
Label: Independent
Genre: Progressive Metal
Musicians of the album
Joaco Luis – guitar and bass
Kristina Vega – vocals
Agustín Milton – drums
additional guitars
Sergi Martínez Pàmias – Act III
Adrián Phoenix – Act II
Tracklist
Act I: Defiance
Act II: Dissidence
Act III: Wistfulness
Act IV: Vengeance
Act V: Greatness
Act VI: Reminiscence
Act VII: Leap in the Dark
Act VIII: Palingenesis
Online:
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proof reading by DeepL