Seventh Wonder
The Great Escape

Here's how to make Progressive Metal without copying and pasting anything from Dream Theater. In 2010, after the excellent "Mercy Falls," Seventh Wonder gifted the audience another small masterpiece, "The Great Escape," which is another testament to their abilities. The Prog Metal, mixed with something Power and characterized by strong AOR strokes, that this group offers is nothing innovative. Indeed, it's amazing how the group manages to mix such different elements, blending them into a single work. There are numerous moments where the group transitions from typically AOR arrangements to instrumental sections typical of Prog Metal.

The vocal performance of Tommy Karevik is immediately highlighted in songs like the single "Alley Cat", "Move On Through", and in the ballad "Long Way Home", sung in the final part also by Karevik's sister, Jenny. Worth mentioning are also the power influences in the opener "Wiseman" or in the particularly inspired chorus of "The Angelmaker". In "King Of Whitewater", an average track, the band also touches on the Symphonic genre, thanks to the splendid violin arrangements by Arto Järvelä. Up to this point, it seems like a good album, without blame or praise.

But it's not over yet: the longest and most complex track of the album, the title track, lasts half an hour; and in this half hour the group summarizes the entire work of the band, from the beginnings to now. The beautiful lyrics are inspired by a story by Harry Martinson and tell the tale of a spaceship that ends up drifting in space. Thus, the suite seems like a collection of songs united together, forming a kind of concept. Musically, this suite, alternating acoustic moments and monumental accelerations, allows Seventh Wonder to showcase the best of themselves. Noteworthy are the acoustic intro and the wonderful final part.

And with the title track, the album also ends; certainly, not a majestic masterpiece, but the band has shown the potential to create it. The references to bands like Dream Theater and Symphony X are evident, but what's impressive is that they maintain their identity and their own sound without ever falling into banality, striving to create something imposing and significant. Who knows, this could be the start of a new wave. For all these reasons, the album could easily be considered the best progressive album of 2010. Thus, Seventh Wonder has hinted that the next work could be their definitive consecration to Progressive Metal. In the meantime, let's enjoy their albums.