The Austrian band Serenity was formed in January 2001. Their real breakthrough came in august 2004, when the band supported Ronnie James Dio, causing the interest of many labels. In 2005 Serenity released their first demo: Engraved Within.

They decided to self-finance their first full-length album to increase their chances in securing a more profitable deal, as well as better touring opportunities. In 2007 the band signed a recording deal in 2007 with Napalm Records. For Serenity this could be the start of a great future. The line up of the band is Georg Neuhauser (vocals), Simon Holzknecht (bass), Mario Hirzinger (keys, backing vocals), Thomas Buchberger (guitars) and Andreas Schipflinger (drums).

Words Untold & Dreams Unlived is a progressive metal album with superb production and sound. The music can be described best as a well-balanced mix of progressive metal and power metal with a lot of symphonic influences.

Of course there are influences of Dream Theater and Symphony X, but these elements are used to create a sound of their own by adding more symphonic elements. The powerful vocals of Neuhauser sound a bit nasal, which takes a little getting used to. The rhythms vary a lot, the riffs and solos sound melodic yet still heavy and are full of energy. The songs are melodic and have strong structures. This means that all ingredients for great progressive metal songs are present: Serenity will not disappoint you, that is for sure.

The songs ‘Words Untold’ and ‘Dreams Unlived’ are two short instrumental songs. The first demo ‘Engraved Within’ was also re-recorded and is one of the many highlights of this album. In my opinion, Words Untold & Dreams Unlived hasn’t got any minus points. To all progressive fans: buy this record and convince yourselves. This album is a must for your cd-collection.