Seven Sisters unleash ’The Cauldron Of The Cross‘
Seven Sisters release their long awaited and highly anticipated second album via Dissonance on April 13, 2018. Again Dissonance deliver all that is good in the British Heavy Metal scene. Seven Sisters deliver a killer album that is sure to please every headbanger. The band have shown fantastic promise, they now deliver!
Recorded in rainy London over the dark winter “the Cauldron And The Cross” now see‘s the light of day and it‘s been worth the wait. Artwork painfully and beautifully painted by Simon Pye Parr of 2000AD / Realm of The Damned fame.
The band walk through each track:
1. The Premonition:
As the opening track, we wanted to start with a bang, and what better way to do that than with a screaming dive bomb? Musically this is the most aggressive on the album, and it’s arguably the fastest song we’ve ever written, but the middle section still has plenty of twin-guitar moments and some odd time-signatures thrown in for good measure. The lyrics focus on the short glimpses of the future those with the power of the Sight receive that set the events of Arthur‘s rise to the throne in motion (and ultimately his downfall, but more on that later!)
2. Blood and Fire:
It‘s only logical to follow up the fastest song on the album with the heaviest! The lyrics of Blood and Fire focus on the old Pagan ritual of Beltane , and the bonding of Arthur to the land so he can be the true king of Britain, accepted by Christian and Pagan alike. The swing feel of the guitars and folk-like melodies throughout strengthen the Pagan theme of the lyrics.
3. Once and Future King:
Now that Arthur has completed the Beltane ritual he can be crowned as the true king of Britain! A strong twin-guitar melody features throughout the song, as well as a big chorus hook. It wouldn‘t be a Seven Sisters song, however, without a musical twist in the middle! The instrumental section draws on some thrash influences before winding its way into a double chorus with a big Bon Jovi key change to finish. This is the first song we wrote for the album, and will be our lead-off single with a video currently in the works.
4. Parting the Mists:
Another shift musically brings us through the mists of Avalon to the forgotten land itself. At this point in the story the balance between Christianity and the old Pagan ways of life are already becoming unstable. Parting the Mists is about the journey Morgaine takes to reach Avalon for the first time. She has a sense that a new way of life is about to unfold for her, as she leaves behind the Christian upbringing of her childhood to train as a Priestess of Avalon.
5. Turning of the Tide:
From Avalon we return to the now Christian Britain. Spirits are high as the Saxons are being driven back and Arthur‘s reign is as successful as it was promised to be. This is another twin-guitar driven track with an upbeat feel and a strong chorus. The middle-eight even features a phase-drenched bass solo. Catchy harmonies and melodies abound!
6. Oathbreaker:
Entering uncharted territory for Seven Sisters, this is our very first ballad (every great album needs one!)The clean verses and heavy chorus reflect the two worlds that Arthur is caught between. The lyrics are the thoughts of a young man trapped directly in the middle of a struggle that he was essentially forced to be a part of. Expect big choruses and bigger solos. We’re looking forward to playing this one live to see how people react, because it’s definitely slightly different than what we’re known for.
7. A Land in Darkness:
After Arthur‘s decision to march in to battle under the sign of the cross rather than the Pendragon banner of his father, Pagan Britian is essentially consigned to the realms of memory. A harmonic minor tonality runs through the song giving it an evil atmosphere, juxtaposed with fleeting twin-guitar passages and a bittersweet, triumphant chorus. Think Yngwie Malmsteen meets Mercyful Fate. Riffs ahoy!
8. The Cauldron and the Cross Pt.1:
Part one of the title track epic begins with a foreboding twin-guitar duel that charges into a galloping rhythm with soaring melodies. The lyrics explore the folly of any claim to power, and argue that Christianity and Paganism (and indeed any other religion) are essentially one and the same thing in terms of their core values and principles. It’s simply preachers and leaders using religion for their own ends that sew the seeds of division and hatred in society, rather than the religions themselves. The track slowly fades from an evil waltz into the beginning of part two as the church bells of St Michael ring out.
9. The Cauldron and the Cross pt.2:
The final track eases in with reflective acoustic guitar, augmented with shimmering harmonics before thundering in with more galloping guitars. The dynamic variety of the track plays well against the conflicting ideals the lyrics focus on. After an ethereal instrumental section, the second part of the title-track epic comes to end with a crash, and so the album is complete and story told. This is probably the most ambitious track of our career to date, and seemed as good a way as any to close the album.
More info on Seven Sisters:
Born in the depths of West London, Seven Sisters are a four-piece band forged from the same steel as the NWOBHM acts of yesteryear. Over the past three years they‘ve gathered a reputation as a stellar act in the heavy metal scene, earning their stripes playing shows all over the UK and Europe off the back of two independent releases The Warden Demo (2014), and the Lost In Time 7” (2015). Their self-titled debut album (2016) was met with rave reviews, and sold out of the first pressing of physical copies in just three weeks. With the all important second album to be released on 13th April 2018, Seven Sisters promise not to just copy the template laid down by the fathers of heavy metal, but to mould their own and usher in a new era.
“The Cauldron And The Cross” released 13-04-18 via Dissonance Productions – CD- Cat Number: DISS097CDD. Vinyl edition via Back On Black – BOBV537LP – Release date 15-06-18
Visit the band: www.facebook.com/sevensistersuk
Dissonance Productions: www.dissonanceproductions.co.uk
