Written By Kevin McSweeney
Phoenix Lake Seraphina The Fall From Eden Album Review
They might be missing their wings, but they’re certainly not lacking guts! The decision by Nottingham-based melodic metal/hard rock quartet Phoenix Lake to make their debut full-length release a concept album is a brave one.
Done right, such an album can be one of the most cherished of a band’s career, as is the case with Fear Factory’s Obsolete or Iron Maiden’s Seventh Son of a Seventh Son.
Done badly, and it can be an embarrassment that haunts you. Note that the aforementioned luminaries waited until they were three and seven studio albums into their careers respectively before even attempting the feat, whereas this lot have decided to go hard or go home from the outset, and bearing in mind that home is Nottingham, you’ve got to admire the audacity.
So, here we are with Seraphina: Fall From Eden, their independently-released narrative-centred debut. And no, dear reader, it has nothing to do with Robin Hood.
We are introduced to Seraphina and the nature of her plight in an elegiac, piano-led intro.
She is an angel, stripped of her wings and banished from Heaven, forced to come to terms with the mortal world.
(Imagine being ousted from Heaven, only to end up in Nottingham. I think Lucifer got the better deal, quite frankly.)
We get four such vignettes throughout the album, informing us of the nature of her vicissitudes. (They proved to be very helpful in the absence of a lyric sheet!)
I wouldn’t want to go into too much detail about the narrative, other than to say that it works. In their own words:
“The album follows her descent and transformation. After falling from Eden, she is thrust into an unfamiliar world and begins searching for meaning in the chaos. Over time, she uncovers love, summons inner strength, and ultimately finds redemption.”
It provides a compelling storyline that fits snugly around the songs, and in that regard, the big risk they’ve taken has paid off.
It works as a concept, with all potential embarrassment averted.
But what of the music?
Well, that works too. Lana Phillis certainly has the ethereal tones to be utterly convincing as the voice of our defenestrated divine being, and the band deliver strong melodies and well-structured songs in abundance.
On tracks such as opener Fall From Eden, with its heavenly harmonies and celestial synths, they boast hooks the size of Sherwood Forest and the most anthemic choruses either side of the Trent Bridge.
This is certainly the case with singles Fractured Wings, Woven in Time and Bells of Varial (the latter featuring a guest appearance by Tristan Hill of Azazel, providing some harsh vocals worthy of an angry supernatural being.)
It can get a bit samey at times, to be honest, though there are a few notable exceptions.
The guitar intro to This Abyss almost has the sound of a hurdy-gurdy to it. It reminds me a little of Patty Gurdy’s collaboration with Alestorm, which was something of a departure stylistically for the Perth pirates.
Speaking of which, the harsh vocals and harder riffs in the middle catch me off guard. It wasn’t what I expected at all. Once again, they show they know their way around a solid chorus.
Heart of Obsidian displays melodic death metal nous with its precise picking, harmonised leads and thunderous double kick rolls, whereas power ballad The Divine serves as a towering centrepiece for the album, as well as a crucial stage in the overall narrative structure.
The tender and towering closing ballad I’ll Let You Go tugs at the heart strings and stands the hair up on the back of your neck simultaneously.
Overall, it’s a bold and brave opening of their account, and it’ll be interesting to see if they return to the story of Seraphina in future.
It raises some troubling theological dilemmas, though – primarily regarding the propensity of angels to succumb to human fallibility.
This is conveyed mainly through the actions of the jealous and vengeful Variel, aka the Angel of Death.
That said, if angels were not so flawed, then Lucifer would not have been driven to challenge God’s supremacy, and ultimately, this would have meant that we wouldn’t be able to enjoy the music we love, for it is a widely acknowledged truth that the Devil has the best tunes. So, here’s to human fallibility in angels.
Metal Lair awards Seraphina: The Fall From Eden by Phoenix Lake four out of five Devil Horns, and apologises profusely for McSweeney’s needless jibes towards the great city of Nottingham. We hope the Sheriff consigns him to the dungeons immediately.
TRACK LISTING
1. “Sor El (The Descent)”
2. “Fall From Eden”
3. “This Abyss”
4. “Heart of Obsidian”
5. “Fractured Wings”
6. “Seraphina”
7. “Echo 1 (Embers)”
8. “The Divine”
9. “Woven In Time”
10. “Echo 2 (Hollow Light)”
11. “Bells of Variel”
12. “Serenity”
13. “I’ll Let You Go”
14. “Echo 3 (The Bloom)”
BAND LINEUP
Lana Phillis: vocals
Ash Wilson: guitars
Zak Smith: bass
Joe Synott: drums
In support of the release of Seraphina: The Fall From Eden, PHOENIX LAKE are due to embark on a full UK run from March to May, with support across select dates from Black Lakes, Aethoria and Dacara.
You can find Phoenix Lake Tourdates and Ticket Links here:
PHOENIX LAKE ONLINE:
Facebook Instagram TikTok Spotify PR Representation
Read more from this author: Seven Deadly Songs