Seven – Cymatics
From Bloomington, Illinois come Seven with their new album, Cymatics. After their 2007 debut Echoes Of Old Voices And The Rise Of New Machines, I was excited to hear what the band had in store for this album. Will Seven hit their stride or will they find themselves in a “Sophomore Slump?”
From the opening track “Architect,” Seven will instantly draw comparisons to Swedish heavyweights Meshuggah. Now I won’t say that they are dead ringers for them, but they definitely have that influence. Seven are able to mix the brutality of a band like Meshuggah, but also add a very dark atmospheric presence of, say, Depeche Mode to their sound. The brutal guitar work leans pretty heavily on ambient sounds and textures throughout not only this song, but the entire album, as well. Vocalist Brad Tuttle is really a hard nut to crack. His screams are distorted and just plain nasty while his singing voice comes across like an eclectic mix of Jesse Hasek (10 Years), Greg Norris (32 Leaves), Adam Rich (Pressure 4-5) and Dave Gahan (Depeche Mode). The song has some very cool off-time beats that just get down right brutal at the end.
“Deadlights” was another standout track with a very cool Meshuggah-like groove. The heavy distorted guitars are snuggled between killer drum and bass work that is totally top notch. They are also complimented with a thick crust of keys and machines. The only problem that I had with this song is the vocal in the verses. At times, the monotone vocals seem to make the song slow and tend to drag. With a beginning that is this brutal, I would have expected more aggression vocally, but it doesn’t really ever happen. There are some places where his vocals fit, but I want pissed off, not piss and moaning.
I do have to say the overall production on Cymatics is fantastic. The guitars, bass and drums are thick and brutal, the vocals are mixed really well, and the “machines” are layered perfectly. So I have to give Seven mad props for such a crisp production for an unsigned band.
“Fear Of the Apocalypse” is a track that should garner the band a lot of attention. From the opening guitar lick, you are drawn in like a moth to a flame. Mammoth guitar grooves are mixed with killer vocals and awesome bass and drum work. Tuttle’s vocal style really sounds awesome layered between the brutal guitars and black hole of ambiance. Amazing track!
Seven show just how dark and atmospheric they can be with “Star Assassin.” From the almost Depeche Mode funky beat at the beginning, you are instantly drawn in. Not only are the verses catchy, but the choruses are absolutely incredible. They are big, singable and totally infectious to say the least. I could see this track on any huge summer blockbuster’s soundtrack.
The last track, and honestly one of the best, is “The Engines Of Distraction.” From the opening electronics to the beautiful guitar, bass and drum work, you are sucked in to the vastness that is Seven. The almost Tool meets Meshuggah vibe is insane to say the least. Vocally, this song is brutal at times but also big and open when it needs to be.
In the end, Cymatics is an album that should bring Seven much praise – there’s no doubt about it. Even though the vocals (at times) need to be angered up a notch, it doesn’t make the album any less stellar. This is an album that may take some people a few listens to get into, but you can’t deny the fact that Seven really have something with this disc. Cymatics is an album that is like an onion – every time you pull back a layer, you find another layer that could just actually make you cry.
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11 Comments
December 10th, 2009 at 7:05 am
I am so glad I found this album, I didn't know about seven but the music on this is beautiful. thanks for the review. I am posting about it on the Journal of Cymatics, where you can see some "real" cymatics if you want (as the band named their album after): http://www.cymatica.com
PS what do you think of Sun 0)))'s album of the same name?
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December 10th, 2009 at 11:24 am
I'm digging this album. Pretty sweet mix! Living only about 30 minutes away from Bloomington, IL, I'm not sure how I haven't heard of these guys prior to reading this review. Just goes to show what a site like ours can do for smaller, lesser known bands.
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December 10th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Awesome! Jodina Im glad you dug the review…..awesome to find hidden gems like this.. Seven will be one of our "All Access" bands starting next week…So that will be killer! yea Ben your right, that's why I started the site…its about the little guys…the unknowns.
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March 21st, 2011 at 1:42 am
This was the first review I ever read from this site, so it would only be fitting that I finally comment on it. I just wanted to thank you Lee for reviewing this awesome CD. They have quickly become one of my all time favorite bands and it's a shame that they broke up. They are 2 hours away from my hometown and it would have been awesome to see them on stage. Thanks again for giving these guys the exposure they deserved. I just wish I could somehow get a damn physical copy of this CD instead of just having the amazon mp3 version of the album. Maybe I will run into them one day and finally get one!
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August 5th, 2011 at 1:57 am
Ok this album is sooo fucking good! I cannot stop listening to it……everyday….all day!!! Ahhhh if these guys would have gotten the right exposure and stayed together, they would have influenced a new breed of alt/metal. They do for djent what Mudvayne did for nu-metal when Ld50 came out, by offering so many different stylings new to the genre. Lee you must find out what happened to these guys! Get in touch with them and get me a physical copy of this album because I’m sick of the crappy amazon mp3 sound qualitiy
This my be one of my favorate albums….well ever!
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Nicholas Misiak replied:
August 5th, 2011 at 1:58 am
*may
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August 7th, 2011 at 7:53 pm
More ppl need to check these guys out!
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Nicholas Misiak replied:
August 8th, 2011 at 4:39 am
Poor Seven
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August 10th, 2011 at 9:35 pm
Anybody here?!
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Lee replied:
August 10th, 2011 at 9:44 pm
These guys are dead in the water man. After I did this review, the singer copped an attitude because I said his vocals needed more ass. Whatever though…..I guess he couldn’t take my small criticisms of this album.
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Nicholas Misiak replied:
August 11th, 2011 at 1:12 am
Damn that sucks! I’ve trolled the interwebs like a mother fucker searching for an explanation as to where these guys disappeared to and why. I found some pretty bad stuff and I’m not sure if there’s truth to it or not. I really wish them the best though with whatever they are doing. I think the singer owns “Seventh Sound Production Studios” or something like that a couple hours from where I live, but I have never been able to find it haha I know some local bands that said they were going to record there, but those bands faded into oblivion as well lol Guess we’ll never know what really happened to these dudes….
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