Review SEVENTH SEA ‘Maledictus’

‘Maledictus’ is the debut album of Seventh Storm, a band that has a distinct captain in Mike Gaspar. Gaspar started Seventh Storm after providing the rhythm for Moonspell for more than two decades.

His new band, however, has little to do with his former employer. Perhaps it’s the dark aura that may still be a cross-reference. The drummer himself, however, reveals a wide range of influences. Tiamat, Paradise Lost, Dead Can Dance, up to Van Halen and Mötley Crüe are reported to have influenced the sound of Seventh Storm. This may certainly be the case, but I have to think more of power metal, which is spiced up with a certain bombast factor. Unfortunately this mixture doesn’t really work and rarely unfolds its full power. Blastbeat parts like at the beginning of ‘Gods of Babylon’ don’t help either. Overall, there is too little new on the album and while listening to the record, songs like ‘Inferno Rising’ also seem too long, if not lengthy. The band tries hard, but the spark does not want to jump over even after repeated listening.

Seventh Sun wants too much on their album and it seems that the band gets lost in the variety of influences and ambitions. Thereby songs like ‘Haunted Sea’ lack a certain homogeneity and more doesn’t always mean better.

In summary it can be concluded that Seventh Storm are rather a mild breeze. The waves certainly don’t whip as pictured on the cover artwork and compared to ‘Maledictus’ the Vikings of Amon Amarth sail hard on the wind and even the good old Running Wild have more wind in their sails. You can listen to ‘Maledictus’, but you won’t miss much if you turn to other records.