Best Melodic Rock album of the year so far? That's a question for a whole pub crawl, but it's certainly up there.
'The Mail' points out that there were seven dwarves, Shakespeare wrote of the seven ages of man, Sinbad had seven voyages and it was 007, not 008. Whilst marvelling at their usual excellent standard of journalism, there is something in it. There are so many books around the power of the septimal; the week, the seven days of creation and seven tears from the Goombay Dance Band. Also, who hasn't seen the desperate blowing on the dice with the whispered imprecation "come on, lucky number seven".
Is this Seven as special? Not quite, but they are bloody good. Around first with some success in the late eighties, from pubs to Parr (they opened for John) and, ahem, Jason Donovan at places like Wembley and the NEC, they then did the fashionable thing, split up and await the regenerating rub of an influential mover and/or shaker. On this occasion, it was Khalil Turk from Escape who loved them then and aided in hooking them up with Lars Chriss to produce '7' in 2014.
Now we have 'Shattered'... and it is a pristine piece of AOR amazement. What isn't great here is purely because it sticks closely to what we've heard before, what is great is purely because...well, because it's great. To convince are tracks like 'Light Of 1,000 Eyes', a simple Euro Rock belter with parping galore, or the FM-tickling soar-away chorus in 'A Better Life'. Not to mention 'Fight' that shifts from soft AOR to a seventies Hard Rock middle and special mentions must go to the twisting, turning solo in 'Taking Over' and the killer chorus of 'Pieces Of You' which pulls a song that didn't want to try to the front of the queue.
The performances here are unfussy and just for the songs; no Freddie Mercury-esque flights of fancy from Mick Devine, little double neck debauchery from Chriss' solos (he also handles drums as well as guitars), just what they need to do – at times, this is amazing AOR with a mouth-watering melodic method. It really is that good and although there are lots doing what Seven do at the moment, when it's good, it floors you with its talent and assurance.
Best Melodic Rock album of the year so far? That's a question for a whole pub crawl, but it's certainly up there. Shattered? Yes, expectations. Seven lucky? They make their own.
Steve Swift
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