Seven Hours After Violet - Seven Hours After Violet (2024)^{Release ID: 55800}

Holy sugar honey iced tea! System of a Down's Shavo Odadjian decided to go on a more metalcore route with his new band in which the title is an acronym for his first name, Seven Hours After ViOlet. He has formed a solid lineup that includes American Idol runner-up Alejandro Aranda and members of deathcore bands Left to Suffer and Winds of Plague to create a good album of alt-metalcore, released via Sumerian Records a couple months before this review.

Shavo still has what it takes in the nearly two decades after System of a Down's last duo of albums. His latest entrance into metalcore has given the scene more exciting light. A creative impact has marked this territory...

Kicking things off hard is the heavy "Paradise" in which fast rhythms and grooves stick together with some clean melodies. Then we have "Alive" which marks a wild melodic metalcore standout. After that one-two punch, "Sunrise" doesn't impress me so much when the heaviness and melody lack balance. At least the clean/harsh chorus keeps it interesting. Still it's not really a track to start with on a whim.

Now we really go hard in "Go!" which, f***ing h*ll, is so insane! Lots of speed and destruction from the music and vocals, with a fun anthemic chorus. Then "Float" floats by with forced melody that comes out a little too plain. But I love the short intense beast that is "Glink". Forget "Cry...", it's too much of a dramatic sh*tter.

Stomping through is the mesmerizing "Abandon". The grand "Radiance" can lure any listeners in, and you can't escape its grasp of power. As we reach the album's final leg, "Gloom" sounds compelling though doesn't reach its potential strength. Neither does the finale "Feel" while still having some power to engage listeners. Pretty much a decent ending for this cool offering.

Any fan of System of a Down would be curious enough to discover this band and album. It's a love it or hate it kind of album, but for me it's somewhere in the middle. I'll see you all later, perhaps after Violet....

Favorites: "Paradise", "Alive", "Go!", "Glink", "Radiance"