Review SEVEN STEPS OF DENIAL “From Ashes” (by Bart Tomaszewski)

SEVEN STEPS OF DENIAL “From Ashes”

Hoofddorp isn’t big city. It hasn’t long or rich history – city (as a village) was found in second half of nineteenth century. There’s practically nothing very interesting. But even in such places live active Metalheads who have something to message to the world. For sure there’re more than five of them in the town and nearby. But in case of this review we’re interested only in these five guys who play in 7 STEPS OF DENIAL. Band was formed in 2009 or yet 2008 (in different places I found different information about it) on ashes of Thrash Metal band ANUBIS. Line-up changed few times and finally in 2001 it became stabile. Than guys released EP “The Pursuit” and three years later full-length about which I’ll talk you a little more.

“The Ashes” contains 14 melodic compositions which take more than one hour. As I said music is melodic and in rather slow tempo. It’s also in Metal meaning of this word hit. The best example here is “Depleted Soul” – especially burden. In the same time we all the time, or at least almost all the time, know that it has something with Metal to do. I somebody would push me to describe it in two words than it’d be just “Heavy Metal”. Truth is that I hear here elements of Hard Rock, Power or even Thrash, but in general it’s all in Heavy Metal stylistic. Guitars (which play Dennis Mes and Edwin de Boer) give us heavy and not so complicated riffs. Of course there happen quite often some solos, but mostly in background another guitar show us that it’s Metal. Marcel Paardekooper’s vocal is of course clean singing. He uses it in melodic way – very often it’s him who makes in the biggest way melody, we can say. Anyway, that’s what we can connote without problem with Power Metal, but in some way also with Thrash in the same time.

There’s also one song, “Always There”, which for me on the beginning sounds a little like one of METALLICA’s ballad. But after rather short time guys back to their norm – maybe very melodic, but HEAVY playing and Marcel to his normal way of singing. Laurens Justin Kreeft plays his drums in very energetic way. It’s not fast or super- hyper technical one, but always and all the time we feel this Metal energy here. From time to time we can also hear clearly pulsating bass.

In my opinion it’s very good album (which as I know guys released by themselves) and I’ll surely listen to it sometimes – when I’ll feel lust for good Heavy Metal. And for fans of mentioned sub-genre of Metal it’s just must!

www.sevenstepsofdenial.com
www.facebook.com/sevenstepsofdenial

(c) Bart Tomaszewski (SEPULCROS PROD)