Seven Kingdoms - Seven Kingdoms
CD Info
2010
Nightmare Records / USA
11 Tracks
English Lyrics
Are you ready for a journey to a far-away land? To a place of kings and queens, wizards and dragons, bloody battles and certain death? That’s the world where Floridian power metallers Seven Kingdoms travel to on their self-titled second album, released in July 2010. Take heed, though: This will not be your typical female-fronted power metal voyage. You won’t get to soar with strings and wind instruments, run through forests of choral chants, or fall under the spell of sirens’ voices. Instead, you’ll hurtle through jagged mountains, down a raging river, and into one of the most brutal gauntlets ever known to the genre. Not scared yet? Good. Then let us enter the gates of Seven Kingdoms.
As you can already guess, Seven Kingdoms the band is not a copy of Nightwish or Edenbridge. In fact, Seven Kingdoms has no traces of opera or classical music. Instead, the band plays a gritty, guitar-driven style led by the rich voice of singer Sabrina Valentine. Whimsical lyrics, catchy choruses, and layers of male back-up vocals give the music a melodramatic edge like that of Blind Guardian (with whom Seven Kingdoms toured in late 2010). What makes Seven Kingdoms so distinct, though, are its torrents of four kinds of metal: progressive, speed, thrash, and death. So with the fast tempos and overall huge sound, there are also crushing riffs, thunderous drums, and ogreish growls from bassist Miles Neff (who left the band last year). This gives Seven Kingdoms the wallop we rarely feel from the increasingly feeble power metal genre. Such bravado isn’t a stretch for Seven Kingdoms – believe it or not, they began as a male-fronted death metal band – and they make it sound effortless through the 56-minute thrill ride through Fantasyland.
And yes, Seven Kingdoms really does sound like a heavy metal soundtrack for a fantasy film. So which track represents the war cry? It’s "The Ones Who Breathe the Flame," complete with thick guitars, Kevin Byrd’s militant drums, and an opening verse that could serve as the inspirational pre-battle speech. How about the murderous pledge against the bad guys? That would be "Vengeance by the Son of a King," with its incensed tone and a searing solo by lead guitarist Camden Cruz. And the epic climax? That’s the 9-minute title track, which is also the band’s namesake song. So they throw in every element of their sound with galloping rhythms, blast beats, half a dozen tempo changes, and a guest appearance by Crimson Glory singer Wade Black. It’s one hell of a tour de force, and a stellar ending for an album of this kind.
Other songs on Seven Kingdoms have more universal messages or approaches. Kick-off track "Somewhere Far Away" finds Valentine searching for the purpose of life over serrated riffs and swift drumming. "Into the Darkness" hustles at breakneck speed to propel its tale of confronting the unknown. And just when you thought Seven Kingdoms couldn’t be radio-friendly, they give you "Wolf in Sheep’s Clothes." Its memorable melodies and standard structure never compromise the band’s larger-than-life style, making this song a sure fan favorite.
If the volume or intensity of Seven Kingdoms doesn’t grab your attention, Valentine’s voice will. This young lady is aware of her abilities and knows how to use them. She coos on the softer passages, delivers hypnotic harmonies and backing vocals, and effortlessly belts it out when necessary. Valentine has her moments of glory – and they’re bright ones. She crowns the 3-minute mark on "Vengeance by the Son of a King" by releasing a full-force, 10-second-long note that will leave you speechless. But even that doesn’t compare to her performance on the album’s lone ballad, "A Murder Never Dead." With just a piano as her backdrop, she describes a person’s final moments using a hushed voice that evokes despair. Her emotion is so palpable that the way in which she softly cries out the final chorus ("I feel it coming quickly / I fear time, my mortal enemy / Broken here I lie…") will bring you to tears.
Between Valentine’s vocals and the blistering music, Seven Kingdoms is a truly awesome-sounding album. And when I say the word "awesome," I mean it in every possible way. This album is as bold and fearless as it is hyper and overwhelming. Except for "A Murder Never Dead," Seven Kingdoms rarely slows down or turns down the volume. Sometimes it sounds like Cruz and his instrument-wielding comrades are battering you on the head as hard as they possibly can – and not every listener will like that. As for the songs themselves, each one rides proud and strong. The only two that lag behind are "Eyes to the North" and "Thunder of the Hammer"; the former track is dominated by grunts and sounds out of place, and the latter doesn’t offer anything new after all the other fist-pumping numbers that came before it.
But in my opinion, you’re not going to find a recent release as powerful and compelling as Seven Kingdoms. The music may be loud and crazy, but that’s why fans love it. The band could have easily shown off Valentine’s vocal prowess and the technical skills of Cruz and the other musicians with a deluge of strings and choirs – and then what would we call them? Just another copycat band? Obviously, Seven Kingdoms are steering clear of that route. They want to compete with the big girls and boys of this genre, and thus chose the road less traveled. So watch out, Nightwish, Epica, and HolyHell. The warriors and princess of Seven Kingdoms have come to claim their rightful place in female-fronted metal – and they’re forging their own path to get there.
9 / 10
Best Songs: "Seven Kingdoms" , "A Murder Never Dead" , "Somewhere Far Away" , "Wolf in Sheep’s Clothes"
Highly recommended for fans of Blind Guardian, Iced Earth, HammerFall, Nightwish, and other power metal bands
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