by Joe Mis
– Sr. Columnist —
Florida-based Power Metal quintet Seven kingdoms is one of the few American bands that can go toe-to-toe with the Europeans. Except for an EP released in 2016, the band has been quiet since dropping The Fire is Mine in 2012, but the wait has been worth it. Decennium is the band’s fourth studio release and shows that their decade-long career has done nothing but strengthen them musically.
Founded in 2007, Seven Kingdoms was quickly snapped up by Nightmare Records and released Brothers of the Night in 2007. After adding Sabrina Valentine as lead vocalist, they released Seven Kingdoms in 2010, and The Fire Is Mine in 2012. In preparation for the release of Decennium they warmed up their fan base with the well-received In The Walls EP last year, and now have reached their 10th anniversary year and Decennium is their celebration.
As one would expect from a decade-old band Seven Kingdoms is tight and unified. Their music is Power Metal through and through, and technically challenging and complex. Sabrina Valentine is the fire – her voice ranging from near whisper to full on operatic without missing a beat. The Byrd brothers are the ice – Kevin (guitars) and Keith (drums) play together with razor sharp precision. Camden Cruz is the wind, delivering explosive, spiraling, and soaring six-string work. Aaron Sluss (bass) is earth and water – providing a solid foundation for the band’s music while keeping things fluid and lively. Leaning heavily on popular fantasy literature for inspiration, their well-structured songs are about as epic as they come.
“Stargazer” kicks off the album on a massive high – fine vocals, soaring guitars, and biting riffs and hooks that just hook. Fans of Game of Thrones will appreciate the near-thrash “Undying” – an obvious tribute to The Mother of Dragons that mixes varied tempo and pace and highlights the band’s solid teamwork. This track, and the intense double-bass drum driven “In The Walls” (based on one of H.P. Lovecraft’s stories entitled The Rats In The Walls) are lifted from the In The Walls EP. “The Tale Of Deathface Ginny” is another reach into pop-culture/media as it recounts the tale of the daughter of Death – Valentine’s layered vocals and harmonies are particularly well done. “Castles In The Snow” is a very slightly slower track that allows Valentine to push her voice to its high and low extremes, and she handles both ends equally well. The guitar work on this track is also arguably the best on the album.
“Kingslayer” has a bit of an Iron Maiden feel to the opening riffs thanks to a manic bass line and excellent guitar harmonies. The rollicking double bass and high-speed guitars continue through “The Faceless Hero”, but Valentine’s vocal line flows at a much slower pace resulting in a very well done and musically complex track. “Neverending” has a bit of a different feel to it thanks to a slightly slower pace and emphasis on unique rhythms and flows rather than speed and fire. “Hollow” turns it up to eleven as a very traditional Power Metal track with some outstanding bass and a vocal line that goes from simple to operatic. The album closes with “Awakened From Nothing,” another traditional metal track with a great solo and interesting tempo changes.
Well produced by veteran Jim Morris (Iced Earth, Savatage, Death), Decennium has a crisp and clear sound throughout, but without the hyper–sharp and sometimes sterile extremes of the European power metal producers. The band’s sound has evolved since the beginning, and they have become a top-notch classic two-guitar Power Metal act that can stand with the world’s finest. No matter the final tempo and pace, Seven Kingdoms manages to always keep a tight hold on melody and flow, never falling into the “let’s just play as fast as we can” trap.
If there are any negatives here, they would be few and far between. The band has focused on speed and precision on this release, but the resulting tracks end up all being fast or very fast in tempo and seem to settle between 4.5 and 6 minutes in length. Some variety (perhaps a mid to slow tempo ballad, or a longer, flowing epic story track) would make for a complete listening experience. Also, the songwriting, as strong as it is, is based a bit too heavily on pop-culture and current comics/media. If the listener is not familiar with the source material they may walk away scratching their heads while they try to figure out the meaning of the songs.
With these few negatives aside, Seven Kingdom’s Decennium is a very good album – energetic and tight – and filled with the fire and bombast that make Power Metal so much fun. It is highly recommended for Power Metal and Female-fronted Metal fans.
Genre: Power Metal
Band:
Sabrina Valentine (vocals)
Camden Cruz (guitars)
Kevin Byrd (guitars)
Aaron Sluss (bass)
Keith Byrd (drums)
Track Listing:
1. Stargazer
2. Undying
3. In The Walls
4. The Tale Of Deathface Ginny
5. Castles In The Snow
6. Kingslayer
7. The Faceless Hero
8. Neverending
9. Hollow
10. Awakened From Nothing
Label: Nightmare Records
Website: https://www.facebook.com/SevenKingdomsOfficial/
Hardrock Haven rating: 
(8 / 10)
