Seventh Sin @ De Bosuil Weert
Seventh Sin @ De Bosuil Weert (Netherlands)
Saturday 22 February 2014
When you receive an invitation for a CD release show it’s hard to say No. When another already scheduled gig was cancelled I was happy to be able to visit the Seventh Sin CD Presentation of When Reality Ends. The venue was their “home base”, a recently built youth center called de Bosuil (English Owl) in Weert (in the South of the Netherlands). This venue perfectly fit the situation, with a good stage, a size matching the number of visitors and a separate space for drinks and merchandise.
What to do if the event is also the first time you hear the songs? As Seventh Sin was playing the entire album, it was a good idea to combine the report with a kind of CD Review.
To make the party complete, two other bands were invited. The show opened with the German band Arven. Arven blend together heavy guitar riffs and double bass with enchanting vocals together with symphonic sounds. Classical and Folk elements meet melodic metal. Fragile piano mix with roaring guitars or choirs and flutes to compete with fast melodic metal-riffs. Most songs were from the recently released second album Black Is The Colour (marked 2 in the set list). The others were from Music Of Light (1).
Arven takes female fronted very literally. The official front line is: Carina Hanselmann (vocals), Anastasia Schmidt (guitar), Ines Thomé (guitar), Lisa Marie Geiss (bass) and Lena Yatsula (keys). For this gig Ines was replaced by Benjamin Reiter (Awaiting Dawn) (guitar). Till Felden (drums) completes the bands. The front row is an attractive element and combined with good music, synchronous head banging and lively performance it was a pleasure to watch and listen. The lovely little gestures of Carina, like her movements of the rain in the “Rainsong”, are a nice add-on to the show that was appreciated by the audience.
Set List:
My Fall (2)
Don’t Look Back (2)
The One for Me (2)
Rainsong (2)
My Darkest Dream (2)
Music of Light (1)
Believe (2)
Raise your Cups (1)
Midwinter Nights (1).
The second band on stage was completely different. Not just the sound but also the lightshow. My Propane played almost in the dark. It can be interpreted as fitting to their type of music, providing a mix of nice visuals for the audience, but quite some dark parts where you only see silhouettes.
My Propane is: Valerio Recenti (vocals), Anand Mahangoe (guitar), Remon Masseling (drums) and Dirk-Jan (DJ) van Zon (bass). As you can see, there is no female participation. However, when I see them they are always supporting a female fronted band. My Propane was the support on the ReVamp tour and will support Stream of Passion on some upcoming gigs.
Their music is on the edge of metal and beat-driven progressive rock. The songs played were from their recent debut album Modern Violent Gentleman. The role of Remon with his varied thundering drums and DJ with solid straight bass lines is very important. The opening of the show with Anand’s solo on his 8-string guitar in “The Lost Art of Obedience” is great. Also his solo in “After You” is excellent. And with the expressive and dynamic Valerio, you get a great entertaining show.
Set list:
The Lost Art of Obedience
Mood
Modern Violent Gentleman
Drinking Diesel
After You
Stray
As it was the CD presentation of Seventh Sin at their “home base”, a lot of family and friends where present. As My Propane was a little heavier, the ones that left for drinks returned for the show of Seventh Sin. The debut album is called When Reality Ends and is self-released. Although it’s their debut, they already joined the stage with Epica, Delain, Leaves Eyes, Asrai, Kamelot, Revamp and Stream of Passion. Recently they did a tour in the UK with Edenbridge. So there is something to expect.
Seventh Sin is: Monique Joosten (vocals), Vincent Reuling (keys), Roy Geelen (guitar). Bart Joosten (bass), Wiro Geerlings (drums) and Ruben Smeets (guitar). This 6 piece Female Fronted Metal band from Weert is one of the great potential present in the Netherlands. Of course Influenced by many different bands from the same and many different genres they created their own sound.
Seventh Sins didn’t play in the sequence of the album (marked in the set list). The shows opens with “Bitter Taste Of Victory”. I assume it’s chosen as the song has in intro with sounds of exploding bombs and rapid gunfire. Pounding drums takes over before the guitars and keys start battling. Then Monique joins the in a black and purple dress. Initially Monique had a challenge (nerves?) to get the right tones but it got better towards the end of the song. The balanced structure of this heavy melodic song, strong musical parts, nice vocal lines and a catchy chorus (in the higher vocals) was a good opening. “Like A Blazing Flame” is the following mid paced beat-driven song with varied vocals backed by heavy guitars and melodic keys. A catchy melodic song with a nice guitar work. The drums play a dominant role in the closing section. More metal is “Alone Again”, heavy riffs give way to a slower, guitar-driven song. The grunts from Roy are a nice contrast to the clean vocals from Monique who gets much confident and better. The keys create a melodic/symphonic edge. Time for a slow down? “Silent Tears” opens with a piano intro which supports the female vocals before the songs goes into an up-tempo chorus with very varied instrumental section. So still a heavy but catchy song with riffing guitars and melodic synths. No time to lose in “My Honor” that goes off almost immediately feel speed. Female vocals backed up with heavy music (riffs and drums) and keys. Alternating male growls and clean female vocals and sometimes in “duet” builds up a great chorus. All is supported by pounding drums and nice guitars.
With “The Well” the middle part is reached. This is a power ballad that challenges the vocal talents of front woman Monique. The song gradually builds from its light piano/drum intro as the guitars and synths lift it to a more heavy level and the vocals move into a beautiful chorus section before fading into a lighter outro. This song has references to the older Within Temptation but today it’s hard to get on stage to the same level as on the album. All over a great song. A second ballad “Just An ordinary Day” follows, a slow paced song with the nice vocals of Monique. Accompanied by the piano/orchestral backing Monique brings with passion a songs about the small things on an ordinary day,
“Hysteria”, the opening song of the album, is the opening of the last part of the set. During the key intro Monique invites the crowd to start clapping and they joined in enthusiastically. Then the songs starts at fast pace with pounding drums, huge guitar riffs and solid bass lines and powerful vocals. Nice chorus sections heavy synths that battle with the guitars show the talent that is in this band. “The Choice” is a heavy song with a little different structure and sound. It opens with fast paced guitar riff/drum and synths before entering a slower beat-driven vocal verse with Monique singing a more Rock vocal style before the guitars and synths pick up the tempo and vocals go to great chorus. Pounding drums, male growls and choral voices give the song an epic edge. The gig “officially” ends just like the album with “The Screams”. A guitar riff/choral voice opening brings in a heavy mid-tempo section where male growls combine with female vocals before leading into the more up-tempo chorus sections. Pounding drums, heavy guitars, melodic synths and straight bass lines mix with a series of faster/slower vocal / chorus sections before guitars brings the song to an end.
Of course a scream for more was honored. Still one song was missing. The show ended with “Wings Of Despair”. Wings Of Despair a mid-tempo song with strong drumming with a lot of cymbals, heavy guitars and synth and an attractive chorus. The crowd was cheering enthusiastically to thank the band for the nice show and of course for the release of the album.
Set list:
Bitter Taste Of Victory (5)
Like A Blazing Flame (8)
Alone Again (2)
Silent Tears (7)
My Honor (9)
The Well (4)
Just An Ordinary Day (10)
Hysteria (1)
The Choice (6)
The Screams (11)
Wings Of Despair (3)
This gig was not a really standard band line-up. However it matched very well and most people had a great evening. With a release party you always have people that are not that familiar with the music genre. It’s always then that some of those say I never thought I would have liked metal. After the show members of all bands came to the bar area to mix with the audience. All had a good time.
As said in the beginning this review would also include a kind of CD review. And we usually give an album a score. The album is more “clean” as a live gig. Based on the gig and listening to the album, the conclusion is that When Reality Ends is an album with great songs with not really a “disappointing” one. It shows the talent of the band. The gig shows that they are on the right path also for stage performances.
Score: 8 / 10
