That's right, it's a Hey! Listen To This post! More veteran readers of the blog will remember we used to run these posts all of the time. Their goal is to allow us to shine a light on bands and albums we find ad-hoc, without much fanfare and planning. In short, these posts are for when you are blowing up with exuberance over a band and you just want a place to write about how much you love. Which is exactly what I'm here to do for Seven Sisters. Apparently, I am somewhat late to the party here, as plenty of people in my networks reacted with "wait, you didn't know about these guys?" But I didn't and I'm here to make sure no one who is even remotely a fan of NWOBHM makes that same mistake.
You see, Seven Sisters are all about the early(ish) years of Iron Maiden's greatness and, specifically, the more goth, deeper vocals of Paul Di'Anno. Self-described as "twin-lead heavy metal", Seven Sisters are not really shy about their influences and that's a great thing. It bleeds into their music as well; solos, sweeping leads, and galloping riffs abound. But everything is executed with such passion and attention to what makes the genre great as to elevate this far beyond mere "worship". The band cuts to the very core of what makes the genre great, namely the combo of epic, emotive music and melancholic vocals.
Just turn on "Shadow of a Fallen Star", the eponymous track from their 2021 release. It has everything you could want in a band like this and more: a mighty, groovy galloping riff in its middle, speckled with with tasty guitar licks. A sweeping, grand chorus punctuated by gorgeous synths. And, of course, blistering solos that bring the track towards its cathartic conclusion and which dot its runtime with even larger musical moments.
To be sure, if you don't like this kind of style it might all seem too saccharine or straight-forward to you. But if you love this kind of heavy metal, have never quite gotten over those first years where all you listened to was Iron Maiden (yes, I am writing about myself right now) then you have found kindred spirits. Seven Sisters are very much in tune with what made, and still makes, this kind of metal great. And their release from March, the second part of the above cited album, is just as good and moving. Get on it! Up the horns!