Seventh Storm are a metal band from Portugal and this is their debut album.
Featuring an ex-member of Moonspell, Maledictus contains 58 minutes of quality metal music that’s been well-crafted by its creators.
Seventh Storm play heavy metal, and they do this very well. Taking in a range of influences from the 1990s to more contemporary times, Maledictus feels both old-school and new at the same time, lending it a timeless quality that suits the material. Seventh Storm’s different metal influences can be heard across the album at different times and places, all wrapped up in a the band’s charismatic dark heavy metal framework. There are even some black metal elements, which I hadn’t anticipated.
Although this simple description above gives an overall flavour of Seventh Storm’s style, one of the things I like about Maledictus is that it’s far more diverse than I was expecting. Not all of the songs follow the same template, and it’s clear that this album has been a real labour of love.
The songs are dark and brooding, yet still anthemic and epic. Full of swirling keyboards and polished melody, the music is richly melancholic and highly textured. The songwriting manages to effectively combine an atmospheric mood-focused approach with a more direct, song-oriented one, making good use of the strengths of both. The songs manage to immerse you in their world while also captivating you with memorable choruses, catchy riffs, and abundant musical hooks.
Emotive leads and expressive rhythm guitars paint vivid pictures as keyboards and pianos, (and other instruments), add extra layers. The nuanced drums and bass underpin everything, while the singer soars over everything with his impressive vocals. Of these vocals, the singer’s voice is powerful and strong, with a good range capable of the material. He can belt out a good verse and a soaring chorus with no problem, while also crooning softly or thunderously roaring when he needs to.
If you want an album of heavy metal that’s loaded with good songs, sounds big, and is awash with feeling, then look no further than Maledictus. Seventh Storm have impressed, and I heartily recommend this album to anyone with a taste for well-written, well-performed metal.
Wonderbox Metal 