Review Summary: Accessible Meshuggah
A few metal bands try to include mathematics to differ from their standard metal counterparts so they can have a different sound, or they just want to rub their complexity in your face. These bands usually follow up their complexity via screamed/growled vocals. Seven is not this type of band in that sense, they layer their Meshuggah-esque playing with clean vocals most of the time. This leads to a great deal more melody, while you will be hearing a lot of Messhugah influence in this band. You will also the other influences which are stated by the band (Tool, Deftones, Nine Inch Nails). It isn't original at all, but it's a refreshing take to the Math Metal genre.
This is actually their sophomore release and the production quality has definitely stepped it up a notch from their previous outing. There is currently no qualms with the production. At least now they can get the sound they want portrayed to an effective quality. If you want a comparison
of sorts, they're what Tool is to Isis when they're compared to Meshuggah. Since they're rarely confronting you with an all out screaming aural assault.
The first song
Architect explodes in your face with pneumatic drill-like drums. It, like most of the cd, progresses into a quiet interlude before building up into some headbangable riffs and growled/clean vocals. Without the quieter parts in between these progressive onslaughts, this album would fall into mediocrity. The songs all have the same similarities until
Star Assassin starts playing, which will stop you in your tracks and you'll make sure you're still listening to the same band. It's perfectly placed within the tracks on the album and is based around a trip-hop style.
Sleep and
Engines Of Distraction are the closing tracks on the album which differ their standard sound aswell, to great success.
Sleep permeates the exact thoughts of the title into music, while
Engines Of Distraction has a post-rock sounding intro before going into the most aggressive vocals so far on the album, It is also the longest track on the album, clocking in at epic ten minutes and twenty-five seconds.
Albums like this usually take a few listens to have it actually become embedded into your mind, this is still one of them for some people, But on the first listen, it is a far from unpleasant listen. The only gripes with the album are the fact that a lot of the vocals become boring in the fact that the clean vocals are all trance-like autotune.
Overall this is an album which can easily be picked up by any fan of melodic metal. The production quality is quite good for an unsigned band. Meshuggah fans should be jumping all over this.
Track Recommendations:
Architect
Deadlights
Fear Of The Apocalypse
Star Assassin
Engines Of Distraction
