Released by: Frontiers Records
Release Date: March 10th, 2023
Genre: Melodic Rock
Links: https://www.facebook.com/seventhcrystalband/
Line Up:
Kristian Fyhr – Lead Vocals
Johan Älvsång – Keyboard/Backing Vocals
Emil Dornerus – Guitar/Backing Vocals
Gustav Linde – Guitar
Olof Gadd – Bass/Backing Vocals
Anton Roos – Drums/Percussion
Tracklist:
1. Wonderland
2. Higher Ground
3. Hollow
4. Million Times
5. My Own Way
6. Imperfection
7. In The Mirror
8. Next Generation
9. Someday
10. Rodeo
Two years ago the debut of 7th Crystal titled Delirium, was a very interesting album to me. Last month the sextet returned to the market with its new album titled “Wonderland”, which has garnered very positive appreciation and criticisms, given the high-quality material. The band moves on to more melodic, modern, and uncharted waters, revealing a high potential and goodness of superior-level compositions and performances, standing out for the cleanliness and effectiveness of the debut, starting right from the onset.
The title track opens the game; those who expect the classic AORistic solutions will be surprised, from the first moment the direction that the combo wants to draw is clear and clear: full-bodied, tight hard rock, with great groove and melodies that accompany it, with keyboards at the service of the pieces and not the other way around. Higher Ground confirms the positive impression; excellent arrangements and writing of the piece intrigue for the ups and downs embodied by the stringed instruments, with the ivory keys providing depth to their vocalist; a singer who does not need to force his vocals to be credible and authoritative. The guitars rock in the solo phase and the piano blends perfectly into the structure of the piece.
Hollow is melodically warlike and fresh in harmonies; Million Times enjoys a gripping gait, heroic climates, and a beautiful guitar solo; My Own Way displays the vein of great quality and magnificence that pervades every single moment of the work, the stylistic features of the class pulsate and inevitably emerge, even in the keyboard solo, from the prog flavor. If you are looking for easy refrains, obvious ensembles, and rather pimping catchy connections, here you will find much more.
Imperfection unfolds from an obsessive plan that permeates the song and then explodes in a sunny semi-ballad, which takes the listener by the hand, leading him into a wonderful world, just as the title of the album states. In the Mirror, on the other hand, is a real piano ballad, endowed with a starry vocal performance, as painful as it is brilliant in its rendering, which spreads delicate, protective, and persuasive rays into the listener; while Next Generation builds a tight anthem, which is sure to get acclaim live under the stage. Someday appears as an elegant song, bejeweled by many choruses and scores that bring echoes from space. The rhythmic and strange Rodeo closes the tracklist, centered on high school piano interlocking and strong choruses of an unexpected and sparkling melodic vein.
The best quality of these Scandinavian big boys is the unpredictability in writing and spacing between melodies: those who expect the comfortable passage heard thousands of times with this style of music, will be displaced and will find themselves pricking up their ears to understand the directionality of developments. The excellent Kristian Fyhr and his equally good adventure companions certainly do not invent a genre, but they know how to find musicality and textures to keep things interesting. Good, solid, technical, and with a great desire to emerge, without sacrificing originality. I would keep an eye on this sextet for future evolutions and related maturations, meanwhile, Wonderland shines widely with its light and inventiveness. Thumbs up to this harmonious melodic Swedish gang.
Written by: Shadow Editor
Ratings: 8/10
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