Seduce The Heaven – Field Of Dreams
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Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000
OuttaMyndXMetal
The country of Greece since the ancient times, when it was broken up into city states such as Sparta and Athens has contributed to the Western World many of the political, scientific and military ideas we still use to this day. Sparta would have its mighty military machine and the Greek phalanx which a human shield of up to as few as 300 men to tens of thousands of men side by side that could defend against empires the size of millions like the Persian Empire with its elements still used in the modern age today. Athens would give to us some of the most brilliant minds, the most famous of them being Plato. Athens would also be the birthplace of democracy that would travel to the Italian hills of the Roman Empire through the forest of the British Isles and ultimately make its way to the new world and what is now the modern day United States of America. Greece would also build one of the “7 Wonders of the Ancient World” in The Parthenon that still stands to this day.
[pullquote]Seduce The Heaven was formed in mid-2009 by guitarist Alex Flouros and soon joined by the lyrical soprano Elina Laivera on vocals founding in this way the main structure of the band. In the following months, a full album consisting of 10 tracks had already been prepared for the recording process. Seduce The Heaven combines powerful elements of Melodic/Death, Metal-Core, Power and Symphonic elements in a unique, technical and brutal, yet very melodic way. – Official Seduce the Heaven Facebook Page[/pullquote]
As I was listening to Seduce the Heaven’s – “Field Of Dreams”, it reminded me of the contributions the Greeks made that still impact and influence our world as a whole today. On the surface, Seduce the Heaven may appear to be another band in the list of what would come to be known in the middle to late 1990s as Beauty and Beast Metal where you have a beautifully refined female voice and a heavy handed death metal grunt style voice in her male counterpart in the band. However, unlike their predecessors such as Theater of Tragedy, After Forever, Epica, Tristania and Draconian, there is so much more going on in Seduce the Heaven’s sound.
Seduce the Heaven have so many elements like power, thrash, progressive, Gothic math and metalcore elements of metal that they cannot be pigeonholed to any of those genres yet at the same time they maintain every one of those elements throughout “Field Of Dreams”. They are basically Seduce the Heaven and I personally cannot draw any comparisons of them to their predecessors I just mentioned above. Elina Laivera – female vocals – has this seductive quality in her that is such a totally compelling modern sound that she draws the listener in with the greatest of ease. Her male counterpart and grunter/growler vocalist Marios Mizo comes in with a wall of very brutal yet powerful growls that are a cross between Devin Townsend and Mikeal Akerfeldt.
[pullquote_right]Earlier, “STH” released a Promo CD only for the media, including 5 songs from the upcoming debut album. Receiving laudatory reviews, the band released their first official video clip “Illusive Light”, which premiered on the 23rd of February 2012. The band’s debut on stage took place in Athens, GR supporting Epica in 2012. – Official Seduce the Heaven Facebook Page[/pullquote_right]
In “Field of Dreams” there are so many hooks and riffs going on. Sinnik Al – guitars – and Alex Flouros – guitars – are the total package as guitar players in the stringed section. They sound like if you were to put the late great Dimebag Darrel Abbot of Pantera and their Greek contemporary Firewind’s Gus G together in the dual guitar attack. Imagine that in your mind for a moment. Both exchange stellar solos with heavy groove metal riffs, a very rare commodity in today’s metal scene. Usually a guitar duo are one or the other in the continuity of their time signatures and sound. Seduce The Heaven have one of the tightest bass and drum rhythm sections in Christos Kollias – bass – and John Thomas – drums – I have heard in the last 25 years. Marios Mizo – vocals – also has a wonderful uncanny ability to use his growls and grunts as a percussive instrument staying on time with his rhythm section of the drums and bass with sheer perfection throughout the entire “Field Of Dreams” album. A few of the great highlight tracks on “Field Of Dreams” are Reflection, Illusive Light, Baseless Addiction and the title track itself Field of Dreams.
In the meantime, Elina perfectly executes her vocals perfectly complimenting her wonderful guitar duo of Sinnik Al and Alex Flouros. For a band that just formed only in 2009, Seduce the Heaven are already well rehearsed and extremely tight in their sound. Throughout the entire “Field Of Dreams” album you can tell they were not going to be satisfied with a mediocre sound. This band has really taken the last 4 years to pay attention to every last detail, note, lyric and timing that went into this “Début Masterpiece.” I certainly know after I friended Elina on Facebook sometime in 2011 and heard a few samples on the official Seduce the Heaven Facebook page thereafter that something once in a lifetime was in progress. After beautifully and brutally bombarding you with this stellar début, Seduce the Heaven end the album with a heart stopping ballet where Elina displays all her attributes as a Soprano.
[pullquote]Recently “STH” also appeared for the first time abroad at the Metal Female Voices Festival X in Belgium receiving amazing feedback from fans and critics. The release of debut album “Field Of Dreams” in January 2013, 3 new video clips, organizing a European tour, releasing debut album also in Japanese market are some of the band’s future plans. – Official Seduce the Heaven Facebook Page[/pullquote]
The last 2 years have been well worth the wait for “Field of Dreams”. For a band that is still unsigned and independent, Seduce the Heaven give you the impression they have been in the industry for at least 10+ years because their sound is already that tight and well produced. “Field of Dreams” is the best unsigned/independent début I have heard in the last 25+ years and this is no exaggeration on my part whatsoever. Just as their ancient Greek ancestors gave the world the many ideas we still hold today and just as their ancient Greek ancestors built the Parthenon I see Seduce the Heaven around for a very long time in the industry if they want to be and can hold it together and see many other bands now on notice that there is a new force to be reckoned with in the Metal Music industry.
I wanted to wait to actually buy the album before I reviewed it and it was certainly well worth everything spent on it than some. It is on iTunes or CD Baby as a digital album only at this time. I do hope they will put out a physical copy of “Field of Dreams” because I will buy it again. I have also provided information for their website and social media links below at the end of this review as well as the official video for their song “Illusive Light” from their official YouTube channel.
Hands down without dispute Seduce the Heaven’s “Field Of Dreams” will be my début album of 2013. I give this album 5 out of 5 stars – a “Début Masterpiece!”
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Enjoy!
More about Seduce the Heaven:
Official Website, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, ReverbNation, CD Baby.
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