Review Summary: A masterful full-length debut with plenty of promise.
Having established a stable lineup and sizeable following off the back of two successful releases, the time had come for Seven Sisters to capitalise on their positive reception and momentum by releasing the full-length album their fans craved... or so it seemed. Instead, the band's plan was to record an EP using material that they had written since their previous release,
Lost in Time - but fortunately, a forthcoming deal with German heavy metal label High Roller Records stipulated that the release must be a full-length LP, and let it be clear: everyone involved was infinitely better off for it. With their work cut out for them, lineup intact from their previous release, and craft honed to perfection, Seven Sisters turned that EP into an album by writing a second half for it, and proceeded to record it between January and April 2016. With one song originally slated to be on the EP - "Pure as Sin" - having been released as a teaser, the full-length album dropped on October 14 to rave reviews and reception from its small but dedicated fanbase.
Not that it comes as much of a surprise, once the ominous-sounding synthesiser intro gives way to the grand opener, "Destiny's Calling", which kicks off the album in truly bombastic fashion with finger-tapping galore and tom-tom volleys before diving headlong into a fast-paced groove. The biggest change here, though perhaps not immediately apparent, is that
Seven Sisters is written as a concept album, living up to its name by being loosely based on the story of Orion's pursuit of the Pleiades. Otherwise, while the basic elements of the Sisters sound remain unchanged, some are present in greater quantities; this time around, the twin-lead tandem of guitarists Kyle McNeill and Graeme Farmer dominates the proceedings, while the backing vocals which used to appear here and there on past releases are now regularly present on almost every tune here. Meanwhile, the rest of side one wastes not an iota of the opener's momentum, as the band tears into album single "Highways of the Night", which combines driving (ahem, riding) verses with pile-driving, double-bass-driven choruses and a slow solo - which, naturally, is followed by some fast shredding. "The Silk Road", led by its intro riff written by bassist Adam Thorpe, showcases this slow/fast dynamic with a smattering of chugging verses and plenty of lightning-fast soloing over drummer Steve Loftin's equally quick double-bass runs, all broken up by slow solo sections and tempo changes, before ending as it began and fading into the ether. Side one closes with the seven-and-a-quarter minute long title track, which follows the approach of its predecessor, while further fleshing it out with meter changes, (relatively) clean guitar, and solo bass parts.
Side two begins by opting for a simpler, more laid-back approach with the cool, comparatively mid-tempo pace of old classic "Pure as Sin", followed by the slightly faster and newer "Commanded by Fear", which is distinguished by its heavy use of soaring backing vocals to close the song. An underrated gem follows in the Thorpe-penned "Gods and Men Alike", which sets off some particularly tasty harmonised leads against a cool set of lyrics passionately delivered by McNeill with just a hint of desperation befitting the song, following it up with a short, slow, ethereal section before reprising its trademark harmonised leads to close the proceedings. The mini-epic "Cast to the Stars" heralds the end of the journey (McNeill even announcing it himself) with its lush acoustic intro and subsequent explosion of, well, more shredding, climaxing with a two-minute duel between Farmer and McNeill before closing just as the album began. Throughout it all, McNeill displays his ample mastery of the mixing board - you would never guess that the album was largely recorded in a cramped rehearsal room and flat - and, as with
Lost in Time, Nick Huck is responsible for the gorgeous artwork, a quantum leap over that of the single (and incidentally, complete with a protagonist who bears an uncanny resemblance to bassist Thorpe).
Unfortunately, the band's first complete album also marked the end of the band's first complete lineup, with Thorpe choosing to depart the band for pastures anew shortly before the album's release, eventually making a comeback with his own project, Skyryder. With plenty of notice given, however, Spanish guitarist Javi "Fulminator" Rute (ex-Virus/Devastated) seamlessly joined in his stead, and onwards they rode, touring to support this stunner of a debut full-length. The sole remaining question... could McNeill and company top this effort?
