I Will Survive
Seventh Key
•
October 28, 2013
If I was in a laconic mood or if I had an introvert temper (which happily isn't the case)"Top Class or pure elegancy" , this short sentence statement that what could have been the only content of my review concerning the new album by SEVENTH KEY entitled "I Will Survive" and published by Frontiers Records. Indeed, the ex-CITY BOY Axeman Mike Slamer (Guitarist / Composer / Sound mixing engineer and producer) and Billy Greer (Singer / Bassist and Author) from KANSAS fame, are two gentlemen who are holding a kind of magic both in their flawless musical performances but also in their perfect songwriting skills, they are veterans and experienced players with many highly successful bands and projects in their respective history, such as STREETS / STEELHOUSE LANE or NATIVE WINDOW.
This album is the third studio work for this amazing duet and if you were convinced by the first self-titled CD in 2001 or the 2004's "Raging Fire", you should be thrilled by this new opus as they managed to keep exactly the same flame, the same excellence in the harmony profusion and the same ultra-catchy richness in the abundance of sing-along chorus. But here everything is exposed in the noblest way, no cheap gimmick, no easy trick, instead we have plenty of refined and sophisticated melodies with some beautiful ambiances, the whole uplifted by an absolute mastery and agility in the instrumental execution. Mike Slamer is a superb six strings player but is even more renowned as a producer, so you can hope for an expert realization; it's exactly what its like: a masterpiece, an Art-crafted product with an unblemished sound to add with the numerous asset of this irreproachable disc.
For those who still don't know the band, their previous works or the talented protagonists, well, what can I say? You can expect a pure load of ear orgasmic pleasure, the pure AOR class of band like GIANT or WRABIT with the Pomp smartness of SAGA embellished by some superb vocals in the KANSAS / SHOOTING STAR / STREETS tradition ("Sea Of Dreams"/ "I See You There" / "Down") with some Prog flavors ("What Love's Supposed To Be") and a few Melodic Hard rock influences ("Lay In On The Line" / "When Love Sets You Free"). I will tell you once again, this is a delivery of grace and sheer finesse in this brutal and dumb world.
9 / 10
Almost Perfect
"I Will Survive" Track-listing:
1. I Will Survive
2. Lay In On The Line
3. I See You There
4. It's Just A State Of Mind
5. Sea Of Dreams
6. Time And Time Again
7. When Love Sets You Free
8. Down
9. The Only One
10. What Love's Supposed To Be
11. I Want It All
Seventh Key Lineup:
Billy Greer - Lead Vocals / Bass
Mike Slamer - Lead Guitars / Keyboards
Chet Wynd - Drums
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