Seventh Angel is one Spinal Tap of a mixed basket.
On Lament For the Weary, we witness the band at their somewhat understated peak. At the time of the album, 1991, they were touring extensively throughout the UK and other parts of Europe. They managed to build a substantial fan base and mainstream metal popularity, then split up unexpectedly in 1992, without ever giving a live taste to American fans, leaving them with a strong urge to riot.
Lament is sort of a substandard concept album. The band tells the story, in a rather metallic way, of a man who was beaten as a child. As he retreats further and further into his depression, he considers suicide, and at the climax is about to take his life. Just then, the Spirit stirs within the main character and he remembers the faith of his early childhood. The concept is somewhat uncreative, and leaves the listener totally dry and unemotional. In part, this is due to the lack of tone to the album.
The music starts in a nature typical of thrash bands; rushed production, subtuned instrumentals, shredding guitar solos; need I say more? Indeed, the album was recorded in two weeks. Though the raw sound of Lament is a problem, the larger issue with this record is the lack of originality. Seventh Angel adds no extra flavor, no spice beyond their rigid metal stereotype. The music is merely an echo of Metallica's forgone thrash era, the aspects of which -- clean classical guitar introductions, singing which combines growls with clean vocals, and a general lack of vocal melody (which is not necessarily a bad thing) -- unbearably weigh upon this album. Besides the unoriginality, the general tone of the album doesn't fluctuate from angry to joyous, but retains a depressed and angry tone even when the main character reaches emotional peaks critical to the story.
Should one dismiss this album as derivative garbage? Not at all. Seventh Angel are a band with many talents; Ian Arkley is an incredible talent on lead guitar, "Tank" pulls five times his weight on drums -- but the band was not virtuosi in terms of writing material. Though it gets old very, very fast, Lament is enjoyable in mild doses.
3 tocks
Other coverage for this album
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