Simon RushworthSeven Sisters — Shadow Of A Fallen Star Pt. 2 (Dissonance)
As soon as we got wind of a brand new Seven Sisters record our trad metal radar started twitching.
And let’s be honest — the long wait’s been nothing sort of excruciating.
The flag bearers for British metal’s bold new generation are, by some distance, the most exciting twin-guitar battering ram since early 80s Maiden.
Wearing their denim and leather hearts on their sleeves, these boys are brazen battle jackets personified.
But there’s nowt patchy about Seven Sisters’ crazily consistent output.
And like its striking predecessor, Shadow Of A Fallen Star Pt. 2 is stitched together with precision and poise — it’s another conceptual masterpiece that’s pitched to perfection.
Imagine if Rush had considered going down the NWOBHM path following the release of Hemispheres?
Seven Sisters is what they’d have sounded like.
Meticulous in their musicianship and imagining immersive narratives for fun, Kyle McNeill and co. are masters of their craft.
This is trad metal with a twist: Sisters are doing it for themselves as they add broad strokes of classical metal and increasingly progressive bursts into a heady mix of heavy music.
Shadow Of A Fallen Star Pt. 2 is as ambitious in its scope as it is brave in its ambition.
Brentford fan Graeme Farmer reels off flaming riffs like Brian Mbeumo fires in vicious free kicks: surely it can’t be long before the Bees’ fanatic is commanding centre stage at the Gtech?
But if Farmer’s constantly on the offensive then Sammy Christou and Gaz Martin are the band’s true defenders of metal. As rhythm sections go, they’re rock solid.
Seven Sisters are 10 out of 10. Every single time.
Two sides to Seven Sisters
Even on the CD version, Shadow Of A Fallen Star Pt. 2 is split into two distinct sides.
It’s just part of the retro goodness soaked through this thrill ride of a riffathon.
A-side bangers Astral Prophecies, Solar Winds and Heart Of The Sun kick up the proverbial storm.
And all three meld Maiden-esque madness with the might of Dream Theater’s progressive thrust.
Pacing’s key to Seven Sisters — always has been — and McNeill knows just when to pick things up or slow things down.
Andromeda Descending (A Fallen Star Rises) is the gloriously overblown tittle attached to side two. Ready yourself for a five-part suite that turns Seven up to 11.
There’s a Malmsteen-like quality to the most flamboyant fretwork as McNeill and Farmer up the ante and aim even higher.
But the thunderous intro. to set closer The Dream That Could Not Die is more akin to a Ritchie Blackmore remix of Bon Scott-era AC/DC.
Seven Sisters might be trad metal’s little brothers but these boys are growing up fast.
Shadow Of A Fallen Star Pt. 2 is on another planet.
Main band image by Stefan Rosic
Fan of Seven Sisters? Check out our Best Trad Metal Albums of 2024.