THE GREAT ESCAPE

Wow, my first review, and I decided to pick an album I was immensely surprised with. Having never heard of Seventh Wonder, I didn't really know what to expect when I picked this up, but having listened to it for about the eighth time, it is a serious contender for my album of the year.

My initial impressions were of a very talented band that seemed to hold back a little on the technical side and focus instead on incredible melodies and song-writing talent, which really works. Unlike a lot of similar bands I have heard, I can remember a multitude of catchy hooks and melodies, which is a welcome change to a lot of my listening. The band has obviously taken influences from the giants of the genre and I can hear SYMPHONY X, some SHADOW GALLERY and FATES WARNING. I know that's not exactly an inspired list of influences, but itg works really well here. Standout tracks include the melody driven Alley Cat, the excellent King Of Whitewater and the last epic, The Great Escape.

If I had any criticisms, it would be that, having heard their previous album, that this record doesn't tread much new ground, it's more of the same. Which is a good thing, because the music here is excellent, but it would have been nice to see something new here. The last track too, feels a little fragmented, and could have been cut down a good five minutes extra, but overall this is an incredibly solid album from the band, and I wish them success in future endeavors.

From start to finish, this album is extraordinary. Seventh Wonder has a way of writing a melody that could be the melody for a very ordinary pop song, and underlaying it with an incredible, exciting, ever-changing and astoundingly complex instrumental background like no other. The stars of the band are Tommy Karevik ? the singer with the voice so smooth he should be called Velvet, Andreas Blomqvist ? the bassist who laughs in the face of guitar shredders, and Johan Liefvendahl ? the guitarist who says "what does Mozart have on me anyways?" Every note on this album sounds more crisp and amazing than every note on 99% of every other album the world over. These guys are technically astounding while being stunningly beautiful at the same time.

A definite highlight of this album is the 30 minute title track, The Great Escape, a concept song based on the poems 'Aniara' by Swedish Nobel laureate Harry Martinson. It deals with the tragedy of a space ship which, originally bound for Mars with a cargo of surviving colonists from a ravaged and destroyed Earth, is ejected from the solar system and becomes entangled in an existential struggle. The first track 'Wiseman' doubles loosely as a prequel to the events of 'The Great Escape'.

These guys are a jewel in the crown of Progressive Metal and it is truly a shame that they are also one of Prog Rock's best kept secrets.

I'll just go ahead and say it up front: this album is a masterpiece. While this is decidedly a more song-centered album than, say, Scenes From a Memory, there is not a single moment on this album that is less than stellar. There are definitely still touches of the power metal sound on The Great Escape, but make no mistake: this is a prog album through and through. The songwriting has improved from the already excellent Mercy Falls, a fact which is most clearly demonstrated on the 30 (yes, 30) minute closing track. However, this album is anything but one-sided, and in fact I would venture to say that The Great Escape is one of the most consistent, listenable albums I've ever heard.

"Wiseman" kicks the album off on a bang, with speed-riffing guitars and grand, cinematic synths immediately establishing an epic mood. It also soon becomes apparent that Seventh Wonder has retained from their previous album their excellent ear for melodic, sweeping, power-metal-esque vocal lines. However, it appears that this album represents another step in an even proggier direction than on their previous effort, Mercy Falls. Rhythmically complex riffs and loads of mini-solos from both guitar and synthesizer ensure that any fan of this classic style of progressive metal will find plenty to like, and forays into differing sounds such as the quieter interlude towards the end of the track prevent "Wiseman" from sounding like a standard verse-chorus power metal song. No doubt a killer opener.

One of my favorite songs from Seventh Wonder follows this up, as "Alley Cat" begins with a technical yet melodic series of riffs before another excellent vocal line kicks in. Where the song really shines, however, is the chorus. With a main hook that can only be described as "anthemic" and plenty of backing music from grand, sweeping synths and pounding guitars, this is the kind of song that makes you want to stand up and shout along with the lyrics. Per the unspoken requirements of the genre, there's a technically blistering solo in the middle of the track as well, and while that perhaps doesn't excite me as much as it might have once, it's hard not to be impressed by the playing (at least for a relative musical layman such as myself).

"The Angelmaker" begins with a very melodic, slightly melancholy guitar part. When this is augmented with synths and crashing, distorted guitars the track begins to remind one of Symphony X, a similarity that remains as the vocals enter. A little bit heavier and "crunchier" than the first two tracks, there's nonetheless a strong sense of melody throughout, with not one but several excellent melodic hooks prominently used throughout the track. Interestingly, the song shakes up the formula a bit by pairing these hooks with chugging riffs rather than cinematic sweeps, and this change-up works quite well and makes the symphonic synth sections all the more effective when they finally do appear. "The Angelmaker" fills its 8 and a half minutes admirably, never feeling excessively long despite its somewhat standard structure.

"King of Whitewater" again bucks the formula by beginning with a gorgeous solo piano part which is quickly augmented by symphonic orchestration. It's not long before this symphonic melody is overlaid with metal instrumentation, and the song begins in earnest. The vocals are as powerful as they've ever been and the hooks just continue to get better. "King of Whitewater" even features what sounds like a violin solo, lending a strong, albeit brief, folky section.

"Long Way Home" is a more restrained number, featuring a simple but effective piano/vocal duet to begin the track and a much quieter instrumentation for most of the song's duration than the loud and bombastic nature of the first four tracks. I know there are those who aren't the biggest fans of ballad-like songs such as this on progressive metal albums, and I'll admit that the cheese factor is fairly high, but I still really enjoy this song. The pacing is brilliant, ramping up towards the end by adding a degree of heaviness and throwing in some sparse but effective female vocals. Additionally, Seventh Wonder's knack for melody synergizes perfectly with the more melodic nature of this type of song, and as a result the vocals just go into overdrive, with the singer providing some of the most powerful delivery on the album.

"Move on Through" is the final short track on the album before the epic closer. Starting off with a very atmospheric bass and synth part, the track develops into a juxtaposition of slower, almost jazzy verses and a more rhythmically regimented chorus. It's a combination that works very well, and the slightly jazzier playing is a nice break from the mechanical riffs that dominate most of the rest of the album.

It's a testament to the strength of the material here that if the album ended before the closer it would still, in my estimation, be a four star effort. Clearly, though, Seventh Wonder was not content to go halfway. It almost seems unfair that we should be treated to a massive, 30 minute closing epic after the incredible first six tracks. One would almost be inclined to worry that such a closer could detract from the overall strength of the album; that it would inject unneeded filler into an otherwise very tight album.

Fortunately, those fears are unfounded. From the opening strains of acoustic guitar and the delicate vocals that accompany them, it is immediately clear that this song is not going to be anything less than a fantastic journey. This becomes even more apparent as the track's overture of sorts begins, with a variety of orchestral sounds clearly demonstrating that "Symphonic Metal" is more than just metal with strings. A huge variety of melodies and themes make appearances just in this opening 5 minutes section of the track, and by the time vocals come in again the listener is fully prepared for the tour de force that is to follow. A galloping guitar line matched with a slightly western-sounding synth line sets up a sense of adventure and grants the listener a hint of the voyage they are beginning to embark upon. The song hits its first fade-out at about the 10 minute mark, and another solo piano part picks up to begin the second distinct section of the track. Guitars and percussion are re-introduced as one of the best vocal sections on the album begins. Though the impact of the word "epic" has been somewhat diminished by drastic overuse in the last few years, I simply can't think of another way to describe this music.

It's not until about the 17 minute mark that the energy dies down again, and the third section of the track begins with an incredible acoustic guitar and piano part that meshes perfectly with the dramatic vocals it accompanies. The guitar takes a wonderfully emotive solo as well, though it's very brief and more than anything serves as a lead-in to more riffing. At about the 20 minute point the female vocals return, serving again in a very understated role but providing a perfect, subtle foil to the more bombastic, heavier main part of the track. The song moves towards its conclusion with another gorgeous piano/vocal duet before some of the themes from the "overture" are reprised. Everything finally culminates in a final, grand wash of synth before a simple acoustic guitar part closes out the track, giving the song a nice degree of symmetry.

I'm astounded every time I listen through this album because every song sounds like it should be the highlight, and on any other album it probably would be. With this album Seventh Wonder have hit upon that rare vein of inspiration that leaves not a single bad moment in the album's 68 minute run time. I mentioned in my review of Mercy Falls that Seventh Wonder is one of the few bands for whom I can sit through 70 minutes of material without ever even thinking of pressing the skip button, and that is absolutely still the case on The Great Escape. If anything, this album is even tighter. I really can't stress how good every single song is, with the closer especially standing out as one of the best progressive metal epics I've ever heard. I really believe that Seventh Wonder deserves to be thought of as a top-tier prog-metal band and I hope I can hear much more from them in the future.

5/5

This CD has it all. Out of over 1300 CDs I own, I think this one is the single best overall.

The musicianship is absolutely top-notch (particularly bass and guitar), the vocalist is arguably the best in prog-metal today, the songwriting is nicely complex, yet has gorgeous melodies that crawl into your head and will have you humming or singing them days later ("King of Whitewater" in particular).

Probably the one thing that sets Seventh Wonder above most other excellent progmetal bands is singer Tommy Karavek. He has a wonderful, warm, melodic voice, fantastic range, and writes some of the best vocal melodies I've heard. His control over his voice is nothing short of amazing, particularly live (I've seen them twice).

All of the musicians are excellent, but I'll give the nod to Andreas (bass) and Johan (guitar) as the standouts. Andreas is without doubt one of the best in progmetal, going back and forth between "bass as a rhythm instrument" and "bass as a lead instrument" with perfect taste and incredible chops.

The lyrics are overall very good, the highlight being the title track, "The Great Escape" (based on the epic poem "Ariana" by a Swedish author who won the Nobel Prize for literature for it in the 1950s).

Their previous two CDs ("Waiting in the Wings" and "Mercy Falls") are also phenomenal, but since each CD is getting better than the previous one, I can't wait for the next one!!

By way of comparison, other bands I love include: Yes, Redemption, Rush, Haken, Porcupine Tree, Enchant, Symphony X, Dream Theater, Marillion, Conception, Ark, Jethro Tull, Pain of Salvation, Alter Bridge, and Queen, among many, many others.

Pop Goes the Metal 'cause the Metal goes Pop?

Yes Siree Bob, this is metal with pop flavor; smiling heavy music. Like Mind's Eye, A.C.T. or Andromeda, this album contains certified metal licks with a boy's band coating. Also, you'll find lyrics that includes heavy use of words like: 'life', 'fire', 'die' and 'forever'.

Hey, Bon Jovi called,, he wants his poems back.

Enough tomfoolery. If the cheese contained in this record could solve world hunger, why giving it a generous spin and consider it like one of the great contenders?

The melodies are to die for. Really. The hooks are big and frequent, enough to hum it later in your car. The songs are fast and direct, leaning towards neo-classical at times. Think A.C.T. 's catchyness mixed with Andromeda's musical prowness and topped with Shadow Gallery cherries. My hat goes to the bassman who doubles the solos with the guitar a la John Myung. It's HARD to shred the bass. Really, I tried and failed. But kudos to Blomqvist who proves that it can be done many times in a single song. You know what, everyone's doing a massive, thermonuclear performance and they should be ecstatic of the results because it's a monumentally good record.

It's a guilty pleasure for me, I admit. It has ALL the raffinement (french) of Dream Theater and the creativity. It could raise your wife's eyebrow, thinking that Bon Jovi is going progressive. But I will not hide that they have a talent to make complex music accessible to others.

Who wouldn't want to cry the word 'Forever!!' at the top of their lungs dressed in black? I know I would.

The great escape from seventh wonder is a masterpiece from start to finish. Though stongly sounding like pure Power metal the album has well written songs from top to bottom.The vocal of Tommy Karevik is best i've heard. The composition of songs and the musicianship is outstanding. Though lyrics are too cheesy at some parts this is a solid album and one i'll recommend to every progressive metal listeners.

The album stars with "Wiseman" which itself consists of all the elements covered in this album. It starts with epic intro and fast riffs and also changes to a ballad during the later part with great solo in between them. It lays solid foundation to the rest of the album.

"Alley cat", the most popular Seventh wonder song follows. Is starts of with a descent rock- pop like riff but what follows is truly masterclass in song writting. The song contains truly amazing synchronization between keyboards abd guitar licks and the vocals are just truly outstanding.Tommy has enough catchy lines in the song and you won't notice 6 minutes flying by you.

"Angelmaker" is the third song of the album and it keeps you up for what's next to come. It starts in a very melodic fashion and gradually picks up the pace and builds up to a heavy and fast paced riffs and ends with a very catchy riff.

The best moment of the album follows with the "King of whitewater". It starts with a slow melodic piano intro and then again slowly rises its tempo. It contains lots of catchy lines with awesome music behind it and vocals again is just magnificient in fact I think this is the best vocal performance in whole seventh wonder career. Hats off to Tommy Karevik again.

A pure ballad in "Long way home" follows and is great in its own way,and "Move on through" is again a descent song with the similar formula of the album,with lots of catchy lines suppoerted by great keyboard licks and great guitar solo in between. The epic "The Great escape" is next in line and this song just leaves me starstruck everytime I hear the song. It takes half an hour of the album. The start with the slow section of the song is truly inspiring and then epic sonding section comes.

Overall this is a must have album if you are a fan of progressive metal!

When I compare "The Great Escape" to "Mercy Falls", their previous album, I don't know which one is better or which one I like more. "The Great Escape" is definitely a song-oriented album with catchy choruses and impressive instrumental sections. It's SEVENTH WONDER's first album to feature a song that breaks the 10-minute mark.

The intro song, "Wiseman", is a song that grew on me as I listened to the album more and more. My impression is that nothing had really changed since "Mercy Falls", they were as good as ever and the typical SEVENTH WONDER. Of course there is a different feel in this album than in "Mercy Falls". As for the song, "Wiseman" has the SEVENTH WONDER catchy vocal melodies and complex solos.

"Alley Cat" is probably their most radio friendly song and my second favorite song on the album. Vocals are very clean and powerful (like pop meets metal in a good way). "Alley Cat" arguably has the most enjoyable riff and vocal melody on the album making it an addicting song.

"The Angelmaker" is the second longest song on the album. I think it's your average SEVENTH WONDER song; it's very good. Instrumental parts in "The Angelmaker" reminds me of parts in the albums' epic title track "The Great Escape". Intense solo midway through.

"King of Whitewater" has vocal melodies that are so good that it's addicting. The orchestral elements in the song (strings and such) are a nice touch. Also the violin near the end (or string instrument such as that) ties the song together and makes this one of the top songs of the album.

"Long Way Home" is the least best track on the album. It's a ballad of sorts with nice piano and acoustic parts. The acoustic solo is something rare in SEVENTH WONDER so it's really neat to hear on "Long Way Home". The reason why I say it's like a ballad is because heavy riffs enter around the 3 minute mark. The guest vocalist that sings in the background with Tommy Karevik is a nice touch. Overall a solid song.

"Move on Through", cool bass intro by Andreas Blomqvist in the beginning. The bass guitar needs more attention in progressive metal and Blomqvist gets the job done. If anything this would be the best track in terms of SEVENTH WONDER bass prowess, coupled with the heavy guitar and keyboard synth solo.

"The Great Escape", I find that if epics start with acoustic intros then the songs will automatically be great. As for epics, some bands do it right and others do it wrong. Some add so-called "fluff" to their epics to get it to that 20-minute mark, but SEVENTH WONDER did it right for their 30:14 epic. "The Great Escape" is never boring. The track is a concept song based on the poems 'Aniara'. The intro track "Wiseman" I believe is a prequel to "The Great Escape" and it tells the events leading up to the title track. For me "The Great Escape" is one of the most exciting and thrilling songs I know, and I definitely consider it my favorite of all time. This is the first song for SEVENTH WONDER to break the 10-minute mark (the closest one was "Break the Silence" which is 9:29) and they produce a half hour song. Musically "The Great Escape" is the best song they've ever produced in terms of quality. Everything is top notch: Karevik's singing is at its best, guitar riffs and solos are complex and melodic, keyboard/synth fills and solos are great, Andreas Blomqvist shreds the bass, and the drumming is calculated (not over the top and the fills are good). The song is very progressive and diverse and has many sections (13 parts I believe), which makes for a good listen. Every time I listen to this song I find something that I missed before, which is something I really value in progressive music. The acoustic at the end is just so awesome. This is an excellent close to the album and will definitely make you come back for more.

This album is definitely a masterpiece. From "Mercy Falls" you can definitely see a progression for SEVENTH WONDER while maintaining their sound. They finally produced a song over 10 minutes in length and they did so in excellent execution. Every song has something new to offer and is very enjoyable. This is definitely an album that grows on you as you listen to it more and more. Highly recommended to any progressive/power metal fan.

The almost criminally underrated Seventh Wonder combine an ear for sugar sweet melodies and technical brilliance of Dream Theater, although they rarely go into extensive soloing - few of the so-called Dream Theatar clones do, nor they should if can't top the masters. Anyway, every song here has something going for it, if you are not allergic to musical cheese, but particularly I would note Alley Cat and the 30-minute centerpiece, the namesake. Alley Cat has deliciously dirty bluesy licks, kind of like progressive Aerosmith. The poetic The Great Escape is more like a book-ended suite of shorter songs linked by instrumental passages, but what a flow. The first 15 minutes are arguably the most pleasurable sequence of melodic symphonic power metal I've heard. By the end of the song, it does slows down and appears to lose some of the steam, but no one writes 30 minutes of unsurpassed brilliance anyway. If you want something even more over-the-top than this, check out their Mercy Falls album, which had a bigger budget.

"The almost criminally underrated Seventh Wonder ..."

The above quote by Progrussia at the main page of this site today really struck my head and makes me realize that I have not said anything at all about this band even though this The Great Escape album has been in my regular playlist. Yes, in a way I agree with his statement irrespective it's criminal or not .... The fact is that this band is really underrated. He then also wrote: " ...combine an ear for sugar sweet melodies and technical brilliance of Dream Theater, although they rarely go into extensive soloing - few of the so-called Dream Theatar clones do, nor they should if can't top the masters.". Yup! His words help me formulate how I feel abouth the music of Seventh Wonder whom I knew because of Kamelot latest album. I have to admit that this band has a technical mastery: composition-wise as well as performance-wise with his counterparts like Kamelot, Dream Theater and Symphony X.

I would have never known the band until someone, my metalhead friend, told me that the new vocalist of my favourite band Kamelot has a band named as Seventh Wonder. I was so curious about it and expecting Seventh Wonder plays similar music like Kamelot. When I finally got this album .. oh no they are different than Kamelot musically but they are as excellent as Kamelot! In fact, I'd like the vocalist sings the way he sings in Seventh Wonder and not emulating like Roy Khan when he is the lead vox for Kamelot. In fact, I am afraid the lead vocal Tommy Karevik would quit from Seventh Wonder ...oh no ... He should not do that! Seventh Wonder must stay alive , and so Kamelot!

Looking at the music, the opening track Wiseman (5:42) sounds to me like a song that goes directly to chorus when the vocal line enters the music. This is quite unique actually. It moves like a straight forward power metal music with typically nice melody. Almost the same style happens at the next track Alley Cat (6:06). The Angelmaker (8:29) is more complex than the previous two tracks especially it has excellent guitar as well as keyboard solo. I must agree that actually Seventh Wonder tends not to demonstrate long solo so that the music sounds packed with combination of sounds from all instruments. There are some heavy riffs but not as frequent as Dream Theater. Right after the ballad Long Way home (4:26) the music moves up to much more energetic Move on Through (5:04) with its powerful combination of vocal harmony (plus nice melody - of course) and excellent riffs and drumming. The keyboard plays very well at the back. Ilove the bass playing at this track. This track is positioned right before the last epic which is I believe was carefully planned by the band as musical peak to conclude the album.

The Great Escape is of course an epic with its 30:14 duration. I can assure you that the duration that is considered long by some people is not that long actually because the band has successfully crafted the composition in such a way that makes us, the listeners, stunned all the way from start to end. When it starts with acoustic guitar, it reminds me to Genesis' Horison right before Supper's Ready. But this one has vocal line on top of acoustic guitar. I really enjoy the opening part with only acoustic guitar and vocal. Tommy's voice is excellent! When the keyboard enters with some classical music, it starts to make my adrenalin rolls faster. It;s really a very nice transition piece - I imagine myself watching a movie with giant screen. It flows with guitar work and the music flows in medium tempo while the riffs work its way. Well I have to admit that Andreas Blomqvist (bass), Johan Liefvendahl (guitar) and Andreas "Kyrt" Söderin (keyboard) work their best to create wonderful music here until the vocal enters. The rest is a demonstration of power metal music with excellent keyboards as well as guitar throughout all musical segments. I enjoy the staccato riffs they insert in some segments that make the epic sounds really excellent!

Overall, this is a highly recommended album with full 4.5 stars upgradeable to five stars. Keep on proggin' ...!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

Seventh Wonder do the prog metal thing with plenty of Dream Theatre in the foundations and the cheese dial turned up to 11, and The Great Escape is no exception. They pretty much tick all the boxes on the checklist when it comes to pandering to prog fans, right down to including a half-hour track in the form of The Great Escape itself. It's all sunshine and smiles with these upbeat compositions, but it feels hollow and emotionally unengaging to me. Possibly it comes down to them matching the prog metal playbook a little too perfectly, to the point where it feels a little to much like they are pandering to the community's expectations rather than throwing any curveballs our way.

Seventh Wonder's The Great Escape is everything that had become stale and boring about progressive metal by the end of the Aughts. This Circus-Maximus-does-Queensryche-and-Whitesnake-covers record is complete with wonky solos, assembly-line keyboard strings, and pale imitation Michael Romeo riffs. And don't worry, for all of you James Labrie haters who only wish DT would just "get a good singer" already, I'm sure you'll absolutely love vocalist Tommy Karevik's smooth vanilla arena rock vocals.

Surprisingly, the only song on this record with anything original to say is the prog epic closer. But alas, that track too outlasts its welcome well before the end of its whopping and totally uncalled for 30 minute run-time.