Seven Kingdoms Reigns
Vernon Meigs
Issue date: 2/5/10 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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Seven Kingdoms released their debut album, "Brothers of the Night," in 2007. The band, including former members singer Bryan Edwards, bassist Cory Stene, and keyboardist John Zambrotto, was able to attract a great degree of attention despite being an underground, up-and-coming band, and was noted for their well-balanced mix of melodic power metal and also death-metal elements, producing an epic overall sound that was up to par even with artists who were performing in the genre long before them.
After the aforementioned three had left, the new Seven Kingdoms lineup had become guitarists Camden Cruz and Kevin Byrd, drummer Keith Byrd, bassist Miles Neff, and singer Sabrina Valentine. The prominent difference from the past lineup, a female vocalist, has led to a degree of skepticism as to the band's direction by fans before the release of the new material (Sabrina Valentine had originally signed on as co-singer with Bryan Edwards, however Edwards left due to the differences in that respect). However, when the songs from the new album were put out for all to hear, the skeptics stood corrected as Sabrina's voice worked not only well, but downright perfect for the new music.
The noticeable influences in Valentine's style are elements of Celine Dion, Amy Lee from Evanescence, and Cristina Scabbia from Lacuna Coil. Some of the best examples of these elements are "Somewhere Far Away," "Vengeance by the Sons of a King," the piano-driven "A Murder Never Dead," the rocker "Wolf in Sheep's Clothes," and "Into the Darkness." Some moments involve full, powerful singing and others remind the listener perhaps of the "Titanic" soundtrack. All members share in gang-chorus backing vocals, best perhaps expressed on the title track "Seven Kingdoms" in the chorus. The death growl vocals have taken a backseat considerably on this album, which is another sharp contrast to the material on 2007's "Brothers of the Night," in which the lead vocalist shared in equally the clean and death vocal duties. On the new album, they are performed by the new bassist Miles Neff.
The band has described that Brothers of the Night as a less organized studio effort in that the members entered the studio just to do it and make songs without much of a game plan besides the album concept, which was based on the works of George R. R. Martin. This time they did have a plan, and as a result the songwriting was much more diverse, from rockers, power metal tunes, songs that fall in the extreme metal territory, and even a piano ballad. The overall sound, however, is that which is epitomized by the given genre of Seven Kingdoms: "American Epic Melodic Power Metal." If for the soaring epic melodies, the heavily driven metal riffs, or even if for the female vocals that set the band in a truly unique niche of the genre, everyone should give this band a shot. You will definitely find something to like in Seven Kingdoms.
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