SEVEN THORNS – Symphony Of Shadows

A veritable frenzy of keyboard pyrotechnics awaits listeners of the new album from Denmark’s Seven Thorns, Symphony Of Shadows. As the album’s title indicates, Symphony is Symphonic/Power Metal release, although the bands approach is much-harder hitting than many band’s working that seam, perhaps as they were founded by drummer Lars Borup. They’ve had a revolving door for membership since their formation twenty years ago as well as difficulties completing and releasing material, not getting a full-length out to the public until 2010’s Return To The Past (Return was preceded by some singles and an album that never saw release).

Symphony Of Shadows doesn’t sound like the work of a struggling band, however. Mainstays Gabriel Tuxen on guitar and Asger W. Nielsen on keyboards join Lars in driving much of the action, with new additions Mads Molbaek on bass and Graham Bonnet-esque vocalist Bjorn Asking supplying additional heft to the sound. The album’s first single “Black Forest” gives a solid indication as to what Seven Thorns delivers, and is worth tracking down for the non-album cut “Eye Of The Storm”, an alternate version of a single from their second album II. The band has gone on to release two additional singles from Symphony of Shadows, “Evil Within” and “Beneath A Crescent Moon”, the former setting a shredding riff against an ethereal wash of keys, the later one of Asking’s best performances in a track layered with exoticism. Seven Thorns save the best for last, though. Closing the album is “Shadow’s Prelude” and the title track, which delivers on the somewhat grandiose name, including a spectral middle section that heightens the dramatic tension of the song.

TUNE INTO METALEXPRESSRADIO.COM at NOON & MIDNIGHT (EST) / 6:00 & 18:00 (CET) TO HEAR THE BEST TRACKS FROM THIS UPCOMING RELEASE!!!