SEVEN SPIRES – Gods of Debauchery
- Posted on 08-10-2021
The US symphonic metallers known as Seven Spires released this lengthy opus of theirs via Frontiers not that long ago and its sixteen compositions are heavily influenced by bombastic black metal, gothic metal, and dark metal. In other words, this is a rather dynamic and musically varied piece of work in that it draws on a myriad of different influences and metal subgenres. Having said that, the result is not as rewarding or satisfying as it could have been.
While the group is undoubtedly skilled musicians, the song material is somewhat underwhelming, and the atmosphere is neither enticing nor intriguing. The catchy, almost commercial-sounding tunes ala "Oceans of Time" and "Lightbringer" quickly grow tiring and the harsh, screamed male vocals are downright dreadful throughout and lack charisma. However, the LP is not entirely without merits; some of the riffs are sharp and efficient, the moods and vibes that Seven Spires up are impressively mournful at times, and quite a few of the arrangements are cleverly constructed and creative. There are undoubtedly some interesting ideas and musical motifs present on the disc too, but in the overall perspective, it feels neither cohesive nor does it come across as captivating. 78 minutes of music is also overkill when most songs lack staying power and fail to capture the imagination.
In short, "Gods of Debauchery" feels a bit like a missed opportunity, and I was expecting something truly epic and massive-sounding here, but sadly, it is a letdown to these ears as huge chunks of it are simply forgettable and uninspiring. Die-hard fans of orchestrated and symphonic metal might find it appealing though.