Hard-edged, adventurous, bold yet widely varied, and ... different.
Seventh Story's flashes of brilliance, powerfully catchy melodies, and recurring themes yield an 80-minute art rock epic that must surely garner an abundance of critical acclaim. It's mostly instrumental though the vocals, which are new to the band on this record, are well executed - if somewhat accented. The music is difficult to pigeonhole - and the closest comparison is probably a more eclectic version of Riverside. The style ranges from progressive metal through fusion, from hair metal to pleasing acoustic guitar work, from Rush to Pink Floyd, and from neo-classical metal to elegantly played grand piano. There are numerous tempo and stylistic shifts, the song structures are unconventional, and the performances are technically superior.
Vitaly Popeloff's influence remains dominant, and his guitar work is consequently prominent, but two keyboardists and a substantially altered lineup give the band a somewhat different profile than their previous releases. It's less jazzy and more rock-oriented than before, and although it isn't as dark or as angular as their excellent studio debut Overlook, it's just as adventurous.
Four of the seven songs run over 10 minutes, with one hitting 20 minutes, lending an epic quality to the piece that is appropriate - since Seventh Story is clearly a concept piece. Exactly how the story hangs together isn't entirely clear despite theatrical voice overlays and clichéic effects that are obviously intended to advance the narrative. There are several recurring musical themes, but the use of recurring prose is also interesting. It's apparently a poem written by the narrator's daughter - and it appears in the lyrics of several songs as well as in the voice-overs.
From the first spin it was apparent that Seventh Story would get 5 stars, and on the second spin, it booked its place in this year's best-of list.
Added: December 9th 2010
Reviewer: Duncan Glenday
Score: 5 / 5
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