STORMHAMMER is back for their seventh album, Seven Seals, inspired by a hidden vault in the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in India. Exploring the "moral dilemma," in the band's words, of wondering what is behind the door, this album takes these themes and translates them into a commanding album with speed, heaviness, and stunning instrumentals.

The opening of the album, "Sleepwalker," hits hard, and even harder with growling, groveling vocals to start the album off. Hearing them here was welcome; believe it or not, I can count the number of albums I reviewed here with groveling vocals on one hand. Most of what I get is melodic vocals, with varying ranges of success. Here, the singer knows his range, sticks to it, and the transition between vocal styles is unique, sometimes pleasantly surprising, and engaging. The vocals on this track weren't at their strongest, but the music was exciting and got me pumped for the rest of the album.

The next two tracks are also heavy, but in their own ways. "Prevail" was more anthemic, with more groveling-melodic vocal combos. These, with the instrumentals were uplifting and I can imagine it being a great crowd-participation song at a concert. "Under Spell" was all speed, with more melodic singing. More of a traditional power metal song, with great, clear production and I would love to see it live. "Taken by the Devil" is the album's designated slow ballad. The guitars and vocalizations here are really nice and I enjoyed the orchestration in the song, and the power punch near the end.

Like "Under Spell," the next three songs, "Seven Seals", "Your Nemesis", and "Keep Me Safe" were more traditional power metal songs, with speed and thrash elements thrown in. "Your Nemesis" is the fastest track on the album and the screeching vocals and melodic chorus are a unique and solid combination. My favorite song off the album is "Downfall." It's the heaviest on the album, I loved the vocal blend, the melodic guitars, and the refrain at the end. I also enjoyed how "Deal with the Dead" featured a tri-tone and snuck it in without sounding like a rip-off of "Black Sabbath."

I was impressed with the closing song. "Old Coals" began with a classic riff and added elements of power and symphonic metal as it progressed, tying itself well to the rest of the album while giving it a stand-out finish. Overall, it's a fun, powerhouse of an album and I's love to see it be performed live. It's especially great for fans who like the more melodic side of power metal, but aren't into really long intros, outros, or instrumental breaks. That said, it's also a great introduction to power metal for newer fans.