7 DAYS – Into Forever
- Posted on 31-10-2010
Songwriter/ guitarist Markus Sigfridsson doesn’t want to let his creative brain lay idle during the living years. Beyond his main work with acts like Darkwater and Harmony, he began 7 Days as a project for his outside compositions that didn’t quite fit into either of these acts. Into Forever is their second release, and for melodic metal fans you’ll find some notable performers in this five piece – namely vocalist Thomas Vikström (Therion, Stormwind) and drummer Daniel Flores (Mind’s Eye, Murder Of My Sweet). Additional support comes into vocal play from Christian Lilgegren, Caroline Sigfridsson, and Erik Tordsson.
Through the 9 main arrangements (supplemented with 2 short instrumentals) Markus and company display a mature, thorough manner to the material at hand. Incorporating waves of light and darkness in their melodic, neo-classical progressive metal style, 7 Days use more of Caroline’s female presence to allow a wider sonic appeal on an epic track like the 9 minute, 10 second “The Innocence In Me” where occasional a cappella harmonies give the song a theatrical choir quality. Short songs go for more of a heavier, current Symphony X direction, as “You Hold The Key” keeps the virtuoso keyboard and guitar solos to shorter interplay excursions, as Kaspar Dahlqvist and Markus trade off in 4 bar measures.
The centerpiece comes near the album’s end, as “Final Wisdom” runs at close to 20 minutes. Opening with an emotive, Arabian-like solo and classical choir background vocals, 7 Days gains the chance to really push the limits of their obvious expertise at the genre – furious instrumentation, numerous tempo changes and overall a song that one can return to hundreds of time to gain something new from this longer arrangement. Markus understands within a song like this, you need to take the listener on a mind trip and be willing to extend certain riffs while move faster with others – and I think vocally this is a Thomas Vikström highlight reel as to his dynamic, underrated abilities.
Here is one artist who I don’t mind putting multiple albums out when the attention to detail and performance level is on high. "Into Forever" is 67 minutes of progressive bliss, those into Evergrey and Star One will want this.