The Dust of Years
Artist: Seventh Angel
Label: Bombworks Records
Time: 9 tracks/59:07 minutes

Well, if there has ever been an appropriate name for a band's new album, I believe Seventh Angel's The Dust of Years, released after a seventeen-year hiatus, fits the bill! Seventh Angel was a British thrash band who released two very critically acclaimed albums in the early nineties, developing a small but devoted following. Their first album was full-throttle thrash, but on their second record they slowed down the music a bit, adding in doom metal elements. Following that record the band split up, presumably because vocalist/guitarist Ian Arkley wanted to further experiment with doom metal and found Seventh Angel to be an inappropriate venue.

In the years between records, Arkley was involved with the doom band Ashen Mortality, as well as playing guitar for Paramaecium. Following this he formed is current, successful doom/death band My Silent Wake who have released three full-lengths, also on Bombworks records.

In 2009 Ian decided to reform Seventh Angel, including three of the original members as well as new bassist/vocalist Mark Broomhead (who will be familiar to some as the singer for another British thrash band, Detritus). This reformed group delves further into doom territory than on either of Seventh Angel's previous records. In fact, many of the new tracks are so similar to My Silent Wake material that one wonders why Ian decided to release them under the Seventh Angel name.

That being said, the record brings on the thrash at some points. The epic Lamentations includes some excellent chugging riffs, and opener Chaos of Dreams is an excellent speedy thrash tune. However the rest of the album falls into the mid-paced doom category. Good, but slightly disappointing for Seventh Angel.

The most notable, and best change here is the addition of Mark Broomhead. The band now effectively has two lead singers,  and most songs feature both Ian and Mark on lead, with Ian handling shouts and growls and Mark bringing some mid-range clean vocals. Interestingly they often combine the vocalists at the same time for an interesting, eerie effect.

This is an excellent doomy thrash record from a band that has been gone far too long, and who arguably now has its best line-up yet. Though I was itching for some for fast material I'm honestly not surprised considering Ian's obsession with all things slow and doomy. I just wish he had included more tracks like "Chaos of Dreams" and saved some of the slower tunes for the next My Silent Wake record.

Noah Salo
http://shineisdead.wordpress.com