Zenith

Five years after the excellent album Decennium we now have Seven Kingdom’s fifth full-length, Zenith. If you didn’t already know, this is an American band that plays power metal like the European masters of the style. Zenith opens with a prototypical power metal track, the fast-paced, blood-pumping "Diamond Handed." This is the kind of song that gets feet tapping and air drumsticks whirling and naturally has a chorus you can pick up right away. There are plenty of speedy songs if double-kick drumming is your thing, like "Universal Terrestrial" and "The Water Dance" along with mid-paced anthems like "Empty Eyes" when you are ready for a bit of a respite. The ballad is not forgotten with the beautiful, if not overly memorable, "Valonqar." Seven Kingdoms does an admirable job covering Joan Jett and the Blackheart’s "I Hate Myself for Loving You," keeping fairly close to the original yet still giving it their own vibe. I don’t think the songwriting on Zenith is quite as strong as on Decennium, but that is a high bar and should in no way dissuade any power metal fan from immediately seeking it out.