SEVENTH WONDER - MERCY FALLS (2008, LION MUSIC)
Tommy Karevik - vocals
Johan Liefvendahl - guitars
Andreas Söderin - keyboards
Andreas Blomqvist - bass
Johnny Sandin - drums

Background
Back in 2006, Swedish prog metallers Seventh Wonder took first prize in the 'album of the year' stakes from yours truly, with their superb 'Waiting In The Wings' album. Two years later, they return bigger than ever, and with a new CD guaranteed to be considered the musical equivalent of David Lynch's 'Twin Peaks TV series, with more emotional roller-coasters than the best theme park can throw at you! This new one 'Mercy Falls' is very much like a TV series, following the dramas of a small town, a family tragedy and the fragility of human nature. Seventh Wonder don't give too much else away, apart from that, they'll leave the rest of it up to you - the listener, and us - the reviewer, to work it all out! I've refrained from reviewing 'Mercy Falls' sooner than this, because there is a lot of listening to be had with the CD.. all 74 minutes of it. Actually, the idea behind the concept of 'Mercy Falls' goes right back to the 'Waiting In The Wings' period and their 2007 tour thereafter, according to bassist Andreas Blomqvist. It has taken a full two years of total immersion to bring this album to fruition, and the attention to detail is oh so obvious. The musicianship on 'Mercy Falls' has to be heard to be believed. Two years ago, I commented on what a find singer Tommy Karevik was. In fact, I named him 'rookie of the year'. Well this time around, he reinforces his credentials in no uncertain terms. The deluxe edition of this album which I purchased contains a bonus DVD. On it, Tommy said that he agonised over recording the vocals, wanting to do his best and give the ultimate performance. He needn't have worried.. let me assure you.

The Songs
The album commences with the instrumental 'A New Beginning', which recreates a car accident crash scene, with paramedics trying to save the crash victims (man and a woman) from the wreckage.. they save the woman, 'but what about the man?'.. 'we've lost him' says the paramedic.. though it turns out he survives, but in a comatose condition.

It's followed by the dramatic overture 'There And Back', another instrumental which sets the scene for the first vocal track..

And that is 'Welcome To Mercy Falls', the town at the center of the Seventh Wonder plot. Lyrically, it's very dark and despairing, like a town without hope or light. But alas, this is not so, there is light at the end of tunnel.. 'it doesn't matter how far you've gone, welcome to Mercy Falls, where nobody's leaving..'. But later on in the song, the chorus changes from 'where nobody's leaving' to 'a chance to find inner peace' and 'where the light keeps changing'.

My guess is that the survivor in the accident is the protagonist in 'Unbreakable'. Though she is alive and conscious, she misses him (as he lays in a near permanent coma). Though she is a shadow of her former self, it is that shadow that allows the pain to break the previous unbreakable ties that bind her to him.. The impassioned delivery by the band brings this song to life in the vein of Dream Theater.

'Tears For A Father' is a short heartfelt ode from the son to his comatose father, played with a mainly acoustic guitar backing.

It segues directly into 'A Day Away', a musical tale of the son, who it seems seeks adventure through dare and daring.

Meanwhile 'Tears For A Son' is the despairing tale of the parent of the accident victim. It also spells out how the victim will receive bone marrow treatment from his son in an effort to save his life.

The surviving woman seeks an escape from her misery on the song 'Paradise'. It seems she is losing hope that her husband won't survive. 'breathe life into mine Father, my spirit caught in this hell'.

The album then turns its focus on the town of Mercy Falls itself. 'Fall In Line' talks about uniting to save the town, and to prepare for the storm that is coming their way.

'Break The Silence' is the longest track on the album. At nine and half minutes, it's epic like nature fluctuates between drama, angst and (as the lyrics say) sheer desperation.

Another longer piece is 'Hide And Seek', while 'Destiny Calls' reaches that point where a decision needs to be made.

Seventh Wonder turn to the acoustic guitar for the beautifully constructed 'One Last Goodbye'. On this song, they talk about how the bone marrow treatment has failed, and whether or not they should turn the life support system off.. By songs end, you know what decision has been made.

'Back In Time' is an instrumental, or more a musical collage of all that has gone before on this album. However, an interesting passage at the end of the song - you hear some dialog between the wife and husband, where she declares to him that their son is not his.. then you hear the sound of a car accident. Could it be that the reason for the accident in the first place was because of this? Interesting. Definitely something you would expect in a TV series.. lol!

The album finishes up with 'Black Parade', a song about moving forward and leaving the past behind.. The lyrics talk about searching and finding the light, living your life until you die.. 'don't you waste one more day in your life.. not one more day!

In Summary
So there you have it. Conceptual to the max. It follows in the footsteps of the aforementioned Dream Theater, Alkemyst and Dominici, all who have released concept albums of late. Musically, the band have moved ahead in leaps and bounds, the technical proficiency evident for all to see. Each of the band members contribute in so many ways, whether it's the vocal prowess of Karevik, the six-string bass pyrotechnics from Andreas Blomqvist or the powerhouse drumming from Johnny Sandin. Making comparisons between 'Mercy Falls' and 'Waiting In The Wings' will be inevitable, but unfair in my books, because they are different pieces of work.. different in so many ways. So far, many of the reviews I've read on the album only talk about the music, and very little (next to nothing) about the storyline. To my way of thinking, if you haven't wrapped your head around the story, then you've only got half the picture.. so that means many of those reviews are incomplete.. sorry to say. The Lion Music release provides two offerings: a standard audio CD, plus a deluxe edition with an extra DVD. The DVD was put together by Andreas Blomqvist, and features three parts: the first featuring the band during the recording/production phase, the second being a series of brief interviews with each of the band members, the third being a collage of photos in the form of a slide show. The DVD itself isn't overly long, nor particularly illuminating about the album concept, however, SW fans may get some value out of it. All in all, a lengthy slab of progressive metal featuring some of the most talented musos in the genre today!

URL: www.seventhwonder.nu : www.myspace.com/officialsw

Track Listing:
01 A New Beginning
02 There And Back
03 Welcome To Mercy Falls
04 Unbreakable
05 Tears For A Father
06 A Day Away
07 Tears For A Son
08 Paradise
09 Fall In Line
10 Break The Silence
11 Hide And Seek
12 Destiny Calls
13 One Last Goodbye
14 Back In Time
15 The Black Parade

Rating:


Related Articles:

Seventh Wonder - 2006 Waiting In The Wings

Seventh Wonder - 2008 Mercy Falls

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