7th Reign hails from Toronto, Ontario in Canada. They play heavy metal, and were formed in 2005. The band got their "break" opening for Sonata Arctica at The Opera House in Toronto in January of 2006. An independently released debut album saw the light of day a year later.

7TH REIGN (2007) INDEPENDENT

I found out about this band discussing Eidolon on a message board. Brian and Adrian used to be in that band (Adrian still is, I believe). And thanks to CDBaby independently released metal CD's, such as this self-titled debut, can easily be found and acquired. 7th Reign delivers a blend of traditional American power metal, and the kind of European metal most people today call power metal. That means you can expect anything from speed metal and traditional metal, through neo-classical guitar-parts and keyboard infused melodic pictures in the background. But the emphasis is on writing memorable songs, just as it should be. The riffs are not dominating, but still very key to the song structure. And they have found a great player in Marios Panayiotis! Brian Soulard delivers some high-pitched clean vocals, not unlike what we remember from bands like Recon, Cauldron Born and of course the era of Eidolon when Brian was their singer. I might also add that he at times sounds like a dead ringer for Andre Matos (ex-Angra, Viper, Shaman, Virgo). At first I thought that the drums were done by a machine. Especially the first song had a very "fake" drum sound. But the credits list Niall Mellors as their drummer, so I might be dead wrong on this. However the liner-notes says nothing about a keyboard-player, yet most of the songs are layered with keys. I find the band to sound the best when they deliver that old school power metal feel in songs such as "Defied" and "Dark Of The Sun". On the other hand I find the mentioned keyboards and neo-classical twists to be something that gives them their own sound. And in a song like "Asylum" everything comes together in a fine, almost epic metal tune. Another thing 7th Reign has going on for them are the lyrics. It's quite clear that these guys have beliefs in a God, and although the lyrics are far from preachy, they do point towards the light. '7th Reign' is a good debut release. A beefier production would of course have been a benefit, but as an independent release it hold up nicely. Glen Drover (Eidolon, ex-Megadeth) does a guest guitar-solo in the last instrumental track.

Killer tracks: Defied, Dark Of The Sun, Asylum, By Way Of Deception

FALLEN EMPIRES (2009) INDEPENDENT

7th Reign's debut was a pleasant surprise. Thus I was eager to hear a follow up. For whatever reason, the band has changed their logo, and is now called Seventh Reign. The spine of the CD still says 7th Reign though. Other changes includes 2 new bass-players (one playing on the album, while the other is now a permanent member) and an added keyboardist. The bands sophomore album is called 'Fallen Empires'. Like the debut, this is yet another independently released CD, albeit with a solid distribution through Nightmare Records.

At first I got a feeling that the music was leaning much more towards the European power metal style this time, abandoning most of the classic US power metal hints. In my ears that was not a favorable choice. There are just too many second rate European bands out there playing a washed out genre. But with subsequent spins I've discovered more and more details and nuances in the music that point just as much towards the classic metal from America. 7th Reign delivers galloping riffs, orchestrating keyboards and thunderous rhythms. Brian Soulard is a soulful wailer with a very distinct voice. At times he reminds me of Edguy/Avantasia frontman, Tobias Sammet. He might be an acquired taste to some though. And he would definitely have been benefited with a better production, where his voice was not as prominent as it is here. But, again, if you're a fan of what he did with Eidolon, and 7th Reign's debut, then you'll like him on 'Fallen Empires' also. The songwriting is more focused on creating epic tunes this time. None of the tracks clock in at under 5 minutes. The album ends, quite daringly, with a 10 minute plus "instrumental". The only voice in this song is that of a child's speech. In my opinion, this is a very good composition. I believe this is a concept album. But I have not sat down to read the lyrics yet. It's the music that interest me the most.

Thusly I have to say that 'Fallen Empires' is an eloquent follow-up to the debut. Of course, much of the excitement of finding a new band to like is not had when hearing this sophomore album. But if liked the debut, there is plenty to look forward to on this CD also.

Killer tracks: Unbeliever, Betrayed, Requiem For The Dead

Eidolon