Seventh Dimension: Black Sky

The fourth album by Swedish prog-metallers Seventh Dimension sees the band stripping back the excesses of their 2018 concept double album The Corrupted Lullaby with this relatively concise release that clocks in at under 50 minutes and, despite some lengthy tracks, is more focussed on well-structured songs, driven more by powerful riffs (some with a modern, almost djent-like feel) and a tight rhythm section than technical excess; that said, there is still room on occasions for some instrumental flare from guitarist Luca Delle Fave and keyboardist Eric Bauer. Symphony X and Dream Theater are probably the main comparators here, although contemporaries such as Australia’s Voyager also come to mind.

Vocalist Nico Lauritsen’s deep, commanding delivery reminds me a bit of Ray Alder (Fates Warning). Following the instrumental intro “Premonition�, “Bad Blood� is a rather average track to kick things off with, however “Kill The Fire� is much more like it, with a catchy chorus and strong, propelling riffs. Other highlights are the slower, more contemplative “Falling�, and the epic two-part title track, whilst “Incubus� closes things out on a suitably bombastic note. All in all, whilst not perhaps from the top drawer of progressive metal, this is still a decent release within the genre from a band who I would say deserve to be better known than they are at present.

Tracklist:
01 Premonition
02 Bad Blood
03 Kill the Fire
04 Resurgence
05 Falling
06 Black Sky: Assembly
07 Black Sky: Into the Void
08 As the Voices Fade
09 Incubus

Added: January 30th 2022
Reviewer: Tom De Val
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
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Language: english

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