Seven Spires - Gods of Debauchery (2021)

Third album for Seven Spires, a symphonic metal band from the US that fuses genres like Power, Black and Death metal. Having listened to them since their debut in 2017, there are some things we must say before we jump into their latest album.

First, we are talking about a band of vast talent. On the vocal part, Adrienne Cowan can sing both clean and brutal parts, but this statement is very limiting as she has demonstrated various different singing techniques. Songs like Burn, Drowner of Worlds and Cabaret of Dreams prove the point. She is also responsible for the orchestrations, lyrics and song writing along with Jack Kosto (Guitars). Speaking of Jack, he is a very skilled guitar player as the music of Seven Spires includes countless riffs and many solos with him playing all rhythm and lead parts. They are supported by a very solid rhythm section with Chris Dovas (Drums) and Peter de Reyna (Bass). If you need proof of how capable those players are, Chris Dovas left the band in 2023 to permanently cover the drummer position for the thrash legends Testament. Adrienne is also lead singer of Sascha Paeth’s Masters of Ceremony and has a place in the touring roster of Avantasia. Should I go on?

Secondly, their music is very adventurous as each album is different from the other. Even songs within the albums themselves vary in style. At the same time, the results do not sound disorienting, but on the contrary they fit together as the soul of the band is present in all their compositions. Expect originality, fresh ideas, emotional songs, professional performances and Hollywood worthy orchestrations.

On to the record in review. Wanderer’s Prayer serves as an intro, but believe me you do not want to skip this one even after countless listens. Adrienne’s chanting accompanied by smooth orchestrations pave the way for the title track and what track it is. Starting with a choir, giving its place to a melodic solo before the first verse starts, Gods of Debauchery is mainly dressed with brutal vocals and the musical parts are on fire. The Cursed Muse continues on the same trend with the clean vocals making a more prominent appearance. While the start of the album leans more on the black metal side, things change afterwards with more power metal elements being introduced and each song differentiating more and more than the last.

There is enough diversity to satisfy all tastes since there are 16 songs in total and running for almost 1 hour and 20 minutes. Having so many tracks that vary in style however, can bring some disadvantages since not all songs may resonate to everyone. One example is Lightbringer with its pop aesthetic. Personally though, it is one of my favorite moments from the album and I can’t recall for how many days in a row its chorus was stuck in my head (Going down, down, down, to a heaven underground). In this album we can also find a modern metal masterpiece that is This God is Dead, a 10 minute composition with Roy Khan (Conception, ex. Kamelot) joining as guest. In this song we come across female and male clean vocals, at least 2 different types of brutal singing, choirs and a sentiment-heavy spoken part in the end. If someone asks what music Seven Spires play, this is where I would direct them in order to get a good grasp. In its conclusion, “Gods…” ends with the amazing ballad-like Fall with Me and I really can’t think of a better way to end such an album. It is like the calm after the storm and it creates such a warm atmosphere, that makes you want to press the replay button immediately.

In a time where we are bombarded with quantity over quality, Seven Spires achieve both. Even if you don’t like a moment or two from the album due to the expanse of their music, you will still be left with so many songs to enjoy and love. And in case all songs end up satisfying your musical taste, then be prepared for a very rare musical experience.