A Siren’s Call
“Encounter,” the first non-instrumental song off of Seven Spires first full-length album Solveig sounds much like a battle march, and that seems to be exactly what the band is aiming for with this release. A relatively new group coming out of Boston, Seven Spires takes dark music and mixes it with fantastic vocals, creating an album with no slow points, one that definitely is worth a listen. Each song has a ghostly sort of sound to it — a haunting style that takes true talent to do well. Seven Spires are already masters of their death metal-esque style, and the entire album is a great adventure.
“The Siren” starts off the album. A short instrumental piece, it’s easily the slowest song on the album, sounding much like a music box at the beginning of a horror movie. It quickly gains speed, as it dissolves seamlessly into the already mentioned “Encounter,” the song that immediately sets the album up for success. The “woahs” at the beginning of the song, mixed with Jack Kosto’s incredible guitar playing, immediately captivates listeners, even before Adrienne Cowan’s vocals make an appearance. Despite her vocals being rather high pitched, Cowan’s voice works perfectly for the style of music that Seven Spires aims to create. “I am the siren of the eventide/ to guide your lonely soul to shore,” Cowan sings, and she certainly is the siren of Solveig.
With an album this long, it’s hard to pinpoint the songs most worth listening to. One song worth noting, however, is “Closure.” Despite the metal feel that the majority of the album has, this song is less heavy for the most part. “Take away everything I love about this pain / so it won’t haunt me anymore / cut me off, cut it out / so it won’t haunt me anymore.” Cowan’s beautiful lyrics can relate to anyone who is at a point in their life where they need to start over and move on. Whether it is a bad relationship, or the ending of an era of one’s life, finding strength to move on is a universal message that makes “Closure” so beautiful.
“The Paradox” and “Distant Lights” are two later stand out songs on the album. “The Paradox” begins with almost demonic screaming, staying true to the style that the band has built throughout the album. It then goes into Cowan’s regular vocals, both standing out from and complementing the screaming start to the song perfectly. “Distant Lights” has a more whimsical feel to it, and showcases Cowan’s melodic abilities. In an album with a lot more metal-like songs on it, hearing the full range of Cowan’s vocals is definitely a treat. She’s a great talent that many should recognize.
Solveig ends with “Reflections” which starts out with music similar to that in the love scene of a black and white film. The purely instrumental songs on this album tie everything together beautifully. Though not a concept album in its traditional form, Seven Spires has a theme to the songs and their lyrics, so adding these instrumental interludes at the beginning, middle and end is a great decision on their part. Seven Spires has created a wonderful first album, and they have a bright future ahead based on the artistry shown in Solveig.
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