Seventh Wonder
Mercy Falls

Seventh Wonder is a Swedish progressive band formed in 2000 by bassist Andreas Blomqvist, drummer Johnny Sandin, and guitarist Johan Liefvendahl. Over the years, the definitive lineup took shape with Tommy Karevik on vocals and Andreas Soderin on keyboards, bringing to life their first two albums, "Become" (2005) and "Waiting In The Wings" (2006). "Mercy Falls" (2008), therefore, is their third work.

The album is a concept with sounds clearly inspired (if one wants to speak of inspiration) by the Queensryche of "Operation Mindcrime" but especially by the Dream Theater of "Scenes From A Memory", which tells the story of a man, married and a father, who falls into a coma after a mysterious car accident. This is the beginning of the album: the sound of broken glass, the sirens of the first responders start the crescendo that takes us inside the hospital with the wife beside the husband, pleading for him to show a sign so that the doctors don't lose hope and continue the treatment. From here, the point of view shifts to the protagonist's mind, who, suspended between life and 'afterlife,' imagines being welcomed into a village called Mercy Falls. Shortly after his arrival, the image of an elderly lady in the village appears, insisting on living isolated in the empty and desolate 'Tall House.' The protagonist then begins to empathize with the woman and reflect on his own condition: they are both unable to escape their empty 'cage' and reunite with their loved ones.

Meanwhile, sad moments of vigil occur beside the man in the hospital; first with the son, who tells him both of his struggles at school and the pranks pulled with friends, momentarily stirring childhood memories in his father's mind. Afterwards, his father stands by him and decides to sign for a bone marrow donation, hoping this latest attempt will work. Meanwhile, in Mercy Falls, the entire population successfully prepares for a terrible storm about to strike the village (the storm is a metaphor for the operation the doctors are about to perform). The storm is defeated, and thus the treatment fails, leading the doctors and the wife to abandon all hope, just as the protagonist, in his mind, expresses his firm desire to return and embrace his family, and the plug keeping him alive is pulled. During his final passage to the afterlife, the man relives, and the listener with him, what happened the night of the accident, closing the circle that began at the start of the album and finally revealing the story that the listener has only partially experienced.

This story is told through 15 songs without any drop in pace and with continuous engagement. After the opening with "A New Beginning" and "There And Back," we reach "Welcome To Mercy Falls," which masterfully paves the way for other songs with catchy yet never cliché melodies that are hard to forget; some examples include "Unbreakable," the epic "Paradise," "A Day Away," and "Hide And Seek." Another positive note of the album is its wonderful ballads, which are the two brief moments of vigil beside the protagonist's bed, "Tears For A Father"/"Tears For A Son," and the powerful final climax of the album "One Last Goodbye." An aspect of this album that might divide opinions is certainly the high technical rate in Dream Theater style, especially present in the long triptych ("Break The Silence," "Hide And Seek," and "Destiny Calls") that precedes the grand finale: thus, there are long guitar solos, virtuoso drumming, and keyboard solos, which, particularly the latter, could heavily burden the ears.

Another important thing to clarify about "Mercy Falls" is that as a genre it doesn't offer anything new; but I believe it can be judged as a decent progressive metal work that is fully worth listening to.