Album Review: Seventh Wonder - The Testament

It isn't often that a progressive metal song catches my ear and won't let go. It's just not in the nature of the music, or perhaps the bands aren't capable of it. I'm not entirely sure which is the correct answer, although it could be both of them. Seventh Wonder is one of those bands that managed the feat. I had heard the buzz around "Mercy Falls", but what caught my ear was their song "Alley Cat". It was the kind of prog there needs to be more of; rhythmically tricky, yet boasting both a hook and a guitar solo with an immediate rush of ear candy. There were more moments like that on "The Great Escape", and Seventh Wonder looked to be one of the few progressive metal bands to have some faith in.

Circumstances change, and it took the band several years to return. That time did not help things, and "Tiara" was an album I wasn't all that impressed with. In fact, I couldn't really tell you anything about it right now, at least not without taking a refresher course on it. That means this record has pressure on it, because another one bordering on disappointment is going to put "The Great Escape" in 'fluke' territory, and once a band gets put on that list, it's hard to ever get off.

The band comes out of the gates ready to prove me wrong. "Warriors" nails their sound perfectly, with the heavy rhythms chugging out a pattern I'm sure has more mathematical intricacy than my ear can pick out. It's got a bit of groove to it, and Tommy Karevik's vocals and melodies in the chorus are glorious. It's a song that isn't really prog, if we're being honest, but that doesn't matter when you get the songwriting this right.

"The Light" is very much in the same boat, and even when the go for a more dramatic approach on "I Carry The Blame", the results are every bit as memorable. The album opens on fire, sounding as good as the band ever has. That makes it even more disappointing that "Reflections" sits at track four as an instrumental. When you have a singer this good, and charismatic, leaving him on the sidelines is such a mistake. There's no guitar or keyboard solo you can play that will match what a well-sung melody can do, and putting the song so up-front destroys the momentum for me.

That isn't helped when "The Red River" follows with one of the least captivating songs of the record. Combined, it's a nearly twelve minute dip right in the middle of the album, and it leaves a bit of a sour taste in my mouth. It's also a sign of what's to come, as the second half of the record also features "Mindkiller", another song that has limited melodic appeal. The album's best songs were stacked at the start, and once we get past those, the record's fun factor definitely takes a dip.

So we wind up in an awkward position. Seventh Wonder provides enough here to keep me from saying "The Great Escape" was a fluke, but they also can't deliver an album that works nearly as well as a whole. They are a talented band, but finding the balance is still proving difficult.