Review by Felix on October 28, 2021.

The 7th Of Never - a great title for an album in view of its surrealistic element. Everybody has a particular idea of the 23rd of March or the 17th of August, but the 7th of "Never" fires the imagination. The same applies to the detailed front (and back) cover. Its illustration was created by an artist called Guy Aitchinson and he really did a great job. The fascinating picture presents a menacing atmosphere due to its unsettling mix of modernity, dreariness and violence. And it leaves room for interpretation. I am still unsure whether the two heavily armed persons in the center of the picture are friend or foe.

With regard to the presented music, Leather Leone´s raw and expressive voice plays the key role. In my opinion, she is the prototype of female metal vocalists. Her trademark, the combination of vigor and femininity, is absolutely convincing. Each and every of her screams demonstrates her vocal charisma in an impressive way. You realize how much she is needed when listening to the instrumental '827'. It is not a matter of doubt that this song can be rated as good. Furthermore, I acknowledge that it can compete with the majority of the remaining tunes. But it would surely have been better if Leather would have made a contribution to this piece, too. David T. Chastain himself may be a guitar wizard, I am not in a position to judge. However, I mainly respect him for being the songwriter of the nine tracks. There is only one piece where Leather was involved in the songwriting process. By the way, the two remaining band members did not contribute to this creative effort.

The album offers vehement power metal with noticeable ingredients of thrash and speed metal. Apart from Leather´s singing, the harsh riffs and the powerful guitar lines form highlights such as the stomping 'Paradise' or the very vibrant title track. Especially the latter follows a fairly thrashy composition pattern. Chastain´s stirring guitar solo at the beginning, the pounding verses, the aggressive and dynamic bridge and the desperate chorus build the musical foundation of this song. It is a worthy title track with a perfect flow, there is no question about that. And it has to be mentioned that the infernal instrumental part with its characterizing drum rolls increases the apocalyptic atmosphere in a noteworthy manner. If you want to test the album, I recommend particularly this track. If you do not like it, you might need a doctor... But of course, tastes differ.

It goes without saying that mastermind Chastain did not forget the suitable number of melodious elements. Nevertheless, the restless attacks gain the upper hand over the playful moments. The powerful and roaring production also contributes to the amazing result. But the most remarkable thing, in my view, is the fact that the album can hardly be compared with other contemporary outputs. It does not fall under a clearly defined category like power metal or speed metal and, furthermore, Leather´s voice represents a more or less unique feature. Without being familiar with each and every output of the band, I know at least their first six albums very well. From my point of view, The 7th Of Never marks the climax of the first part of their discography. The album triumphs over its predecessors and successors because of the imposing combination of maturity and harshness and this mix remained unsurpassed.

Rating: 8.1 out of 10