Vanadium
Seventheaven

VANADIUM "SEVENTHEAVEN" (1989, GREEN LINE)

After the abrupt blow following the collapse of the Durium record label, the Milanese band manages to find the strength to recover and, having reached a deal with Green Line, confidently re-emerges onto the Italian and international rock scene.

With their usual courage and willingness to challenge themselves, which has always distinguished them, the five musicians create a wonderful album, characterized by sweet and captivating melodies but also by an incomparable energy and dynamism. The impeccable recording and mixing work by producer Guy Bidmead (Motorhead, Tina Turner, the late Wratchild U.K., among others) manages to enhance the feeling radiated by the group due to a crystal-clear production that can compete with certain American or British works of the period in terms of sound clarity and cleanliness.

The musical directions of "Seventheaven" decisively shift towards the melodic/A.O.R. side, demonstrating Vanadium's ability to incorporate sounds of a different mold into their proposal, without distorting or undermining their unmistakable sound matrix. The band fully lets go, giving free rein to their compositional talent and managing to present themselves to the public with an incredible strength and cohesion. While the predecessor "Corruption of Innocence" had some forced attempts due to the timid attempt to convert a sound deemed excellent by critics but undeniably retro, the group makes a more drastic and certainly courageous change here, once again showing they are not afraid of the frivolous judgment of the media and compose music solely in the name of art and respect for their fans.

"Seventheaven", along with "Excess All Areas" by British band Shy and some episodes of Def Leppard's second incarnation, is an album I have no hesitation in placing on the select list of platters worthy of representing our continent in a genre with marked USA dominance, Adult Oriented Rock. Many years have passed since the debut "Metal Rock", a deeply tied episode to the valuable teachings of Deep Purple, and Vanadium themselves have wisely characterized their sound, distancing themselves from their original model: however, once again, Pino and his companions pay their original tribute of gratitude to the legendary act from across the English Channel by presenting an album with a cover that closely resembles that of their famous "Fireball".
The honor of opening the dance goes to the dynamic "Italian Girl", a piece on which the first-generation Van Halen specter flies high, but which presents a very personal use of the choir, evident sign of a strong improvement in ensemble vocals that in the previous studio work still appeared in full settling phase. It continues with "Natural Born Loner", an exceptional song, enhanced by Tessarin's intense guitar that proves once again to be an axe-man capable of feats worthy of the greatest guitar-heroes. In this track, Pino Scotto's vocals blend with a wonderful choir of high-energy female voices, creating an effective contrast that continues on the path already paved by Cinderella in their debut "Night Songs" and Bon Jovi's "Slippery When Wet". The next ballad "Take My Blues Away" is a genuine jewel, a supreme synthesis of the feeling and dynamism that have always distinguished Vanadium, once again proving capable of creating a sincere and never banal slow-track, just like it was for "Easy Way To Love" and the following "Images". The instrumental "Seventheaven" leaves ample room for the great skills of keyboardist Ruggero Zanolini who delights us properly before the sound assault of "Bad Attitude", a concentrate of powerful metal in pure '80s style.
We arrive at "One Way Ride", a song of overwhelming impact, highlighting the great work of a rhythm section once again impeccable. "Kill The Killer" suddenly explodes, a dynamite track where the band launches into a destructive performance, complete with a central pyrotechnic solo by Tessarin supported by an intense keyboard backing, more intense than ever. The capacity to engage the listener developed by this track can be compared to pieces like "Into The Fire" by Dokken or "Tonight" by Motley Crue, memorable songs and perfect syntheses of melody and power.

The keyboard-guitar combination is renewed with class and elegance in the following "Step Ahead Of Time", introduced by evocative sounds. "To Be A Number One", with its ironic and provocative lyrics and very pleasant female choirs, ideally reconnects to the previous album. The task of closing this overwhelming record in style is up to the heaviest track of the lot, the granite "Warriors", in which Pino, the rock'n'roll lion, gives his final decisive strike, scratching the listener violently.

Developing the valid premises of "Corruption Of Innocence", this "Seventheaven" manages to touch chords never reached before, dragging us even deeper. An excellent care for the melody and careful work during the composition phase make this platter a masterpiece capable of best uniting the sweetest and the roughest and most instinctive soul of hard rock.
(Enrico Rosticci)