Seven – Freedom Call

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Metal exports coming out of the Czech Republic are few and far between. When one of your most well known exports is relatively obscure black metallers Root, you are in trouble. What’s perhaps so strange about this is that the country does have a healthy metal scene, as visitors to the country’s Masters of Rock festival have perhaps witnessed, exemplified by hard rockers such as Kreyson – big stuff in Czech, unheard of everywhere else. This is where we find Prague-based Seven, who’ve released a sizable number of albums over the years yet remain a relative unknown outside of their home country. That’s a shame, as from the evidence that Freedom Call offers, Seven at least have more to offer than a lot of the dross coming out of some European countries. It is mostly mid-paced heavy metal, but very well produced and with good, strong and memorable melodies. The band’s general mid-pace does mean that the music sometimes doesn’t feel very energetic, but the riffs are suitably heavy and there’s some good guitar work from the band’s founding guitarist Honza Kirk Běhunek. The band’s more melodic music is strengthened by rather good song-writing and a good, albeit rather accenting vocal performance from singer Lukáš Písařík. On the whole the album itself is a little unspectacular, but certainly an enjoyable example of well played heavy metal from a little known but rather veteran band.

Written by James Donovan
More: 2011, Albums, Heavy Metal, Quick.Play Reviews, Seven