Seventh Calling
Monuments
Rating
73/100
Style: US-Metal
Release date: June 29th 2007
 

Tipton/Downing and Murray/Smith are two guitar-tandems we all know. The duo Lange/Handel of Seventh Calling doesn’t ring a bell yet. Yet I'd say, because they have the potential I think. All the songs have been written by this duo. Michael Popless - bass and Jamie Strobach - drums complete the band.

Melissa Records - a young Dutch label - has picked them up, along with Beyond Fallen (see review). Like Beyond Fallen, Seventh Calling is also playing US-metal although with more progressive influences. You can hear from their music that they are fans of bands like Judas Priest, Metal Church, Fates Warning, Vicious Rumors, Dio and Dokken.

The band has already been warming-up for bands like Symphony X, Metal Church, Cage and Raven. So, I guess they must do something good. So why doesn't 'Monuments' score higher? The vocals are not that strong. Lange and Handel shares the vocal parts. In a song like "Invasion" the vocals sound a little boring and monotone. In "Awakening", which starts with good riffing guitars, the duo's singing is weak. I like the aggressive vocals in "Dead Mind's Eye" and in parts of other songs better. 

The band has potential and if they find a singer like a Stan Bush (I know they are not found at any street-corner) the future even looks even brighter. When you go to their Myspace-site you can already hear a new promising song.


Tracklist
01. Dark Angel
02. Silent Screams
03. Faces of Deception
04. Fight for your life
05. Dead Mind's Eye
06. Invasion
07. Mercyless
08. The Process
09. Awakening
10. Insanity
11. Immortality
12. My Blood...Your Veins
Label: Melissa Records
Distribution: Melissa Records
Artwork rating: 65/100
Reviewed by: Reinier de Vries
Date: December 26th 2007
Website: www.myspace.com/seventhcalling