SEVENTH DIMENSION - Of Hope & Ordeals

SEVENTH DIMENSION

Album: Of Hope & Ordeals

Genre: Progmetal

Release Date: June 21st, 2024

Country: Sweden

Label: Corrupted Records

Band Links: WEBSITE / BANDCAMP / TWITTER / INSTAGRAM / FACEBOOK

Almost exactly three years ago, Swedish Progmetal act SEVENTH DIMENSION shared their marvelous album “Black Sky” with us, that easily ended up in my favorites back then, so I was excited to read about something new coming our way. Founded in 2009 and with already four full-lengths under their belt, album No 5 is out on June 21st, got the name “Of Hope & Ordeals”, and marks a beginning, as well as growth and continuation for them.

The first five songs contain very personal lyrics from various band members, of experiences that have been present throughout the previous years, before the grand finale comes along with the band's first ever 25 minutes prog epic, not only closing "Of Hope & Ordeals" in an impressive way, but also the "Black Sky" trilogy that started on their last album.

Musically speaking, their style is best described as keyboard-centered Progmetal, and they throw in all ingredients that I love about the genre. The well-produced and skillfully played compositions offer marvelous melodies, versatile rhythm patterns, and huge harmonic layers to dive into, coming along soulful and atmospheric. Vocalist Markus Tälth is new to the party, and caught me immediately with his expressive performance.

It’s great to hear how SEVENTH DIMENSION further evolved on all levels without getting too extreme to one side, offering their most mature and exciting release to date. Everything fits perfectly together, flows dynamically and naturally without getting repetitive or losing tension, revealing more and more of its magic with every spin. So I can only wholeheartedly repeat my recommendation from three years ago: if you’re into bands like Pyramid Theorem, Star One and Symphony X, better take a seat and enjoy the ride…

Written by Katha