aiylyn
Sorry. Seventh Avenue has undeniable, yet inconsistent, talent. They have an impeccable sense for melody. They write great, memorable songs - but also flat and lifeless songs. The opener of this record, "Beyond the Ocean," is fantastic, with one of the catchiest guitar melodies I've ever heard. It's a shame there aren't more leads of this type to follow (though we get a healthy dose of the standard shredding). The first full song, "A Step Between the Worlds," is a great song with a chorus so hook-laden you might find yourself singing along even with the first listen. Later on, we have the powerful "Angel's Eyes" and "Until You Come Again." Unfortunately, the rest of the album is not quite up to the bar set by its highlights. Great guitar playing and infectious harmonies abound, but that over-the-top spark is ultimately missing. I'm not saying that it's a bad album - not by a long shot. Fans of Gamma Ray and Edguy should find plenty here to enjoy. But it is, I regret to say, not a future classic. It suffers from flat production, particularly in the vocals (which seems to plague religious melodic metal bands). I'm happy to see that Seventh Avenue doesn't try to play down their spiritual orientation or disguise their lyrics, and musically this album has its share of successes. But the final, definitive bombast that could make this great just isn't there.