Search - Lefay :: Seventh Seal

The most overlooked [Morgana] Lefay album!

Murat Batmaz | Istanbul, Turkey | 11/10/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's Sweden again. And it's another incredible band. One of the best heavy metal acts to emerge in the last 15 years! Unfortunately like many other bands out there, [Morgana] Lefay has never got the critical acclaim they so well deserved. When you mention [Morgana] Lefay, most people will tell you that Maleficium and SOS are both amazing records. I certainly agree with that. Some will mention Symphony of the Damned and Sanctified too. Besides these, they have released compilation albums with their heavier stuff and more mellow stuff. And then there is the overlooked Lefay album The Seventh Seal, which was the first CD that came out under the band's new moniker Lefay. After the 1996 release Maleficium of Morgana Lefay, there was a fall out between the members and vocalist Charles Rytkonen and guitarist Tony Eriksson had to change the name of their band to Lefay, dropping the "Morgana" part. They added a new drummer, bassist, and second guitarist. As Rytkonen and Eriksson have always been the main members of this band, I pretty much lost my interest in the other band. So in 1999, Lefay released their "debut" album The Seventh Seal, which was a very different album than all its predecessors. The thrash roots were somewhat gone, yet still audible in the rhythms, and the band adapted some doomy elements as well. Some people have criticised them for having personality crisis; I on the other like to call it diversity. This band is an excellent heavy metal refusing to limit itself within a single genre. They borrow elements from thrash (Symphony of the Damned, Sanctified), from heavy metal (SOS, Maleficium), and some doom on this one without losing their roots completely. The outcome is an unbelievable record! The production is flawless, none of the instruments distract each other or the vocals for that matter. Charles Rytkonen has proven that he is one of the most powerful vocalists on the planet, I can't believe he is so underrated. Each word he sings, each scream he lets out drips with the fullest emotion. And the fact that his high screams have a Jon Oliva feel is even more impressive. Jon Oliva (Savatage) is possibly my favourite singer ever, and Rytkonen is basically the one and only other singer that resembles him, without wanting to. [Check out the Maleficium and SOS albums if you don't believe me.] Like the previous records, he sings right from the bottom of his heart, giving you screams that simply rip your face, and singing so emotionally (check out the song "Moonlit Night") that his voice sends shivers down your spine. The songs themselves have a very strong backbone. New drummer Robin Engstrom plays very tastefully, and believe me few drummers hit the skins as hard as he does. The drums are quite prevalant on all the songs, which is great. The new bass player Mikael Asentorp has brought a fresh sound to the band. His bass lines are thundering with power. The second guitarist Peter Grehn complements Eriksson perfectly. They switch solos every now and then, and when one solos, the other lays down some killer rhythms before Rytkonen's vocals start off and take you to a different phase. This is also the first album that utilizes a lot of variations with unusual musical elements. You can hear (or should I say "feel"?) some great orchestration in the title track, which also gives the other band members space to sing back up. The vocal harmonies and Rytkonen's delivery are incredible. The opening song with the killer line that goes "This is the end of living..." followed by the doomy riffing is jaw dropping. "The Boon He Gives" has got one of the most memorable choruses to have ever seen the light of day. Even if I didn't hear this album for the next 10 years, I would keep hearing this chorus forever. It's a song that builds up slowly and painfully and turns into a heavy rocker with crushing guitars and shuddering drums & bass. "Child of Time" is a very groovy track that will force you to headbang even if you don't want to. "As Far As I Can Go" once again seems like Jon Oliva is singing one of the most haunting ballads (remember the stuff on Savatage's Streets album?) and poignant lyrics. Lefay is one of those bands that has yet to disappoint me with an album. They're absolutely fantastic and deserve all the praise in the world. It's a shame their current status is in limbo and whether they will record a new album is still unknown. It should be in your best interest to support this band if you want heavy metal to continue rocking your world. I sure do."

A Choice Cut of 80's-style heavy progressive power metal

Ryan Seek | Maricopa, AZ United States | 04/17/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of my top 10 albums of all time, by a rarely known early Swedish metal band, with heavy influences from Savatage and early Metallica and wee bit of early Fates Warning and Metal Church. It is heavy, it is melodic, and it's progressive; all my favorite elements of metal.You'll find no orchestras here, or keyboards. Just straight-forward mid to fast-tempo progressive metal songs with some slower, acoustical interludes that are really the highlight of the album. The songwriting on Seventh Seal is some of the best you'll hear, and is far and above anything the band has done on earlier (as Morgana Lefay) or later (SOS) albums. Each song has it's own character, there is nothing repetitive about this album at all. The guitars are CRUNCHING when it's heavy and the the acoustical/mellow pieces are mixed clear as a bell and emotional enough to bring a tear to your eye.If you ever enjoyed the heavier (and progressive) side of Savatage, the killer riffs of Lightning/Puppets-era Metallica, and the catchy vocal melodies of early Metal Church, you'll LOVE this album. If you don't find yourself screaming "THE BOON HE GIVE, THE BOON HE GIVES," on the way to work, then you better be singing "Oh, Mandy well, kissed me and stopped me from shaking, and I need you today. Oh, Mandy!" Seventh Seal gets five stars from me, and earns every point of every star. This is a filet mignon of 80's style heavy (with a touch of prog) metal. Killer songs are: The Boon He Gives, Moonlit Night, Harga, and As Far As I Can Go, but they all kick arse. Don't miss out on this classic metal masterpiece."

Unique Doom-Style Metal.

blozor | Jacksonville, AR United States | 02/06/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I can appreciate what these guys are doing here. Most DOOM-style metal (what I consider the diametric opposite to power metal), can be very bland without much room for change or experimentation in the music (much like a lot of power metal bands). These guys, however, with crunching basslines, recognizable riffs and vocal hooks create something that is different and unique in the genre. They combine the heaviness and morbidness of doom metal with the driving beats of industrial, and I believe due in part to their vocalist, they come off sounding a lot like Savatage at times. Recommended tracks are: "End of Living," "The Seventh Seal," "Harga," and "So Strange." The acoustic ballads I could really take or leave. Five star reviews I'm saving for the truly exceptional albums, but I think these guys deserve more credit than they have been getting."