By: Anders

Posted: Nov 9, 2005

Matt Sinner, Ralf Scheepers and company is now ready with their 6th album entitled "Seven Seals". A quite mature and well balanced album, with a lot of atmosphere on it. There are of course all the classical heavy metal elements present, together with some progressive elements and a dark and mysterious atmosphere, all the good stuff from the older albums on one more or less.

It is almost like it gets too epic in the long run, more good smashing straight ahead heavy/power metal, than there is present on the album could be nice, though that is probably just me being picky again. There some good elements of that once in a while, like in the quite epic 'Question Of Honor' which have a great heavy metal middle part displaying Scheepers vocals when it, in my opinion, is best. He has one of the best vocals, and I for one really dig his Rob Halford-esque alikeness, though he doesn't use that, that much on this new album. His vocal effort is very varied and is mostly calm and emotive.

The musicians are good and they deliver much listenable material, how could they not be though. There are some good leads and solos from the guitars, and some good and intriguing structures from them, though a more raw and aggressive guitar tone in the straight forward heavy metal parts wouldn't have been bad. It would have made an already hard hitting track like 'Demons And Angels' even more aggressive. The tone is very suitable for the epic and all out atmospheric parts though. The drumming is good and varied as well, delivered by Randy Black… straight ahead with a nice technical touch.

This album might receive a mixed reception from the fans of the band, though the ones who won't like it, might have left the train at the last album "Devil's Ground". This album has it all more or less, some good epic atmospheric elements mixed well together with straight ahead heavy metal, it is very seldom a track is the one of the other, though the 'Immortal Ones' are straight out of the heavy metal book, with a nice chorus, killer riffs and a good solo. A good track, as well as the following 'Diabolus' a grand atmospheric epic track. This album offers a lot, though it needs a couple of spins or more to get there!

Rating: 7,5/10

Print