Artist: Seventh Star
Album: The Undisputed Truth
Label: Facedown Records
Release Date: June 12, 2007
Review by: rand
Tracklisting:
1. The Undisputed Truth
2. Now At Hand
3. World War Three
4. Cursed Creation (The Fall of Man)
5. Isaiah Six
6. For All The Saints
7. Seven
8. The World’s Solution
9. I Versus I
10. Overrun.Overgrown.Overthrown.
11. Chasing The Wind
I don’t know why, but when I heard that Seventh Star was releasing a new album, for some reason I remembered them being a rap rock band. I don’t know where I got that idea in my head, because I know I had heard their previous record, Brood of Vipers, but for some reason I had it in my mind that Seventh Star was a rap rock band. Then I put their new album in…yeah, they definitely aren’t rap rock. Not to say rap rock is bad, and I am sure if Seventh Star played that kind of music they would do it well, any heavy music they’d do well for that matter, because they certainly don’t fail to impress on their newest CD, The Undisputed Truth. Seventh Star brings the heat once again with their hardcore/metalcore sound, in which the heaviness of the guitars never let up.
If Seventh Star lacks anything on this album, it is ambiguity. If the album art isn’t enough (ie: the crucifixion depiction on the back of the insert, the hand with a hole through it coming from the heavens behind the CD) to show what Seventh Star believes in, then the lyrics solidify the bands purpose. The band wears their purpose of “Restoration of Creation” on their sleeve, but this is not the only thing that shines on the album. Like I mentioned, the brutality of the guitars never let up, as a good hardcore CD should. What I like the most though is the gang vocals. The rest of the band seems to scream in unison at random, unexpected, but timely, instances. For instance, they’ll just shout the first word of a verse, or even the first syllable of a word, or the last word in a sentence-they band just erupts with vocals that sound so cool. Other than that, my favorite tracks on this release have to be “World War Three” and “The World’s Solution”. The lyrics on all these songs are fantastic, but there is just something about the whole band chanting “World War Three!!” over and over, with just he bass drum going that increases this CD’s level of intensity. The pauses are also well placed in this song, and Johnny Intravaia screams right through them, and then the guitar chugs right back in. “The World’s Solution” has a sort of Southern guitar riff to is that set its apart form the rest of the album, but it is an amazing song, and even if it seems out of place, I think it is a great song on its own and adds to the album. Seventh Star has definitely matured since their last release and the production on this CD is better quality.
To me there are only a few let downs on this album. First of all, a lot of the songs sound alike, but hey, this is hardcore and it is probably supposed to be that way. That is also why I like track 8 so much, because it changes up the rhythm a bit, which is good and helps the album out. Secondly, I would have to say that Johnny Intravaia’s raspy vocals are an acquired taste. They sound quite similar to Evergreen Terrace, but they definitely work for Seventh Star.
2007 just might be the year of Seventh Star, as they claim, but not only because of the seven theme going on, but because they have cut a great album as well.
7/10