Seven Spires : " A Fortress Called Home"

 

This came out in June, I have caught some of the singer's YouTube videos, which are cool enough. There are some brighter more symphonic passages, but they are not as gleeful as most bands doing this sort of thing. The chorus for the opening track works well enough and the use of harder vocals on the verse, makes them sound more modern than most. The guitar solos do what they are supposed to do on this kind of thing, They are not excessive, and not yet get the feel that the songs are just bookends for the guitar solos. Do the symphonic elements take some of the edge off? Yes. 

The second song reminds me of a Dimmu a little. But more like Temu Borgir as it does not hold all the heft of the Norweigan band. It makes sense these guys are from Boston. There is a smoother vocal to "Almosttown". It's interesting how she separates herself from the corset-wearing singers of this metal subgenre. The pop hooks she uses are more subtle, and while she's attractive there is no sense of sexuality being projected from the music. 

"Love's Souvenier" sounds more like a show tune than a metal song, even with growled vocals and guitar solos. This is darker than say Night Wish though that is not really saying much as I could only get a couple songs into their new album and I gave up. This fact is highlighted in 'Where the Sorrows Bear My Name". The Chorus is not as strong as some of the earlier songs, and it meanders a tad. Adrieen Cowan is a great vocalist for this sort of thing, however some songs flow better than others. Technical singing ability is great, but it has to be tempered with the ability to write great vocal lines. 

"Songs Upon Wine Stained Tongues" has a more romantic baroque that recalls Nightwish.  There is not anything hooking you into this bardic tale. "House of Lies" benefits from better songwriting. "Portrait of Us" is a more straightforward power metal style, but without the thrash influence. It works well enough, but typically speaking the major key chord progressions sound like anime anthems and are not normally my thing, as I prefer darker heavier music. 

 "Emerald Necklace" which is a ballad that sets us back in the land of show tunes. It is the kind of flowery melodrama that I do not like about this genre. If you drool over guitar solos then they threw one in for good measure, but it's mainly fluff. "Architect of Creation" is one of the album's heavier songs, but the symphonic element works against it. The last song is way too happy for my taste. The scowled vocals on the verse do not help with this. I will give this an 8, they are sharper than most of their peers, making it something that is easier for me to listen to than most of this sort of thing. 

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