SEVENTH WONDER – Become [Frontiers Records Reissue] (2023) *HQ*

SEVENTH WONDER are among the most amazing melodic progressive metal acts from the last two decades. Frontiers Music will reissue the long out of print first four studio albums from the Swedish Progressive Metal masters: “Become”, “Waiting In The Wings”, “Mercy Falls”, and “The Great Escape”.
Seventh Wonder was formed in 2000 by bassist Andreas Blomqvist, guitarist Johan Liefvendahl, and drummer Johnny Sandin after their previous band fell apart. The music they were writing and playing quickly turned towards progressive metal. Two demos were recorded (2001 & 2003) and the latter caught the attention of Lion Music, who signed the band in 2004. That collaboration spawned the first Seventh Wonder album, ‘Become’, which was released in June 2005.
The intriguing thing about Seventh Wonder is not the little shreddy solos or intricate break riffs, but rather that they are unique. I can’t think of a single band that I closely associate them with, as they are their own entity.
This debut full-length album “Become” was remarkable, since most bands tend to emulate their influences for an album or two and then somewhere along the way pick up a personality and write their own stuff. But Seventh Wonder skipped the immaturity and channeled their influences into being only influences to the greater creative whole of the original composition.

Needless to say, they’re off to a good start, but they’re not going to be the next Symphony X or Dream Theater without continuing to develop their creativity and compositional methods.
Overall, the tone of “Become” is rather light, melodic compared to many metal bands. For instance, “Temple in the Storm” is extremely light-hearted and inspirational compared to the average metal piece. That does not hold for the entire album, however; tracks such as “Like Him” and “The Damned” are faster and more aggressive, showcasing more technical skill but still artistic taste and talent.
“Blinding My Eyes” start with a great choral introduction, containing one of the catchiest interludes on the entire album that demonstrate the same technical skill.

Singer Andi Kravljaca (who decided to part ways shortly after the recording process ended) fit quite well with atmosphere of the music around his melodic voice. The guitars and basses (Johan Liefvendahl and Andreas Blomqvist, respectively) do an excellent job as far as playing emotively. For the most part, they use just the right amount of effects in all the right places, even though the more technical passages can sometimes seem forced or ground into precision when a a little precision could have been sacrificed for some emotive playing.
No doubt keyboardist Andreas Söderin is skilled and talented – something he would demonstrate in future albums – however on this debut he’s concentrated in create atmospheres for the guitars.
The drums pull it all together, and I cannot stress the exactness with which Seventh Wonder is prone to performing with, especially the drummer – Johnny Sandin. It does not bother me one bit that the album is so exact. In fact, I enjoy it, because it shows a degree of musical maturity that eludes many bands.

Overall, “Become” is solid and completely worth delving into. It is full, unique, mostly emotive, and powerfully melodic. The writing abilities displayed on this album are quite incredible, to say the least.
If you’re searching for a good progressive metal band that’s not all tritones and a melodic forced grunting, then look no further. This album has well-written and well-executed melodic and orchestrated themes as well as killer metallic riffs placed strategically throughout.
Since this first album Seventh Wonder put clear they were a unique act, one of the best progressive, melodic metal bands of this Century.
HIGHLY Recommended

01 – Day By Day
02 – Like Him
03 – The Damned
04 – Temple In The Storm
05 – Blinding My Eyes
06 – The Secret
07 – What I’ve Become
08 – In The Blink Of An Eye

Andi Kravljaca – vocals
Johan Liefvendahl – guitars
Andreas Blomqvist – bass
Andreas Söderin – keyboards
Johnny Sandin – drums

Pre order:
www.amazon.co.uk/Become-Seventh-Wonder/dp/B0C6MP2JP7