Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Seventh Wonder - Mercy Falls (2008)
To h*ll with my split from melodic progressive metal! This album is absolutely brilliant!! Why did I leave my more melodic epic metal taste behind for so long, despite my love for progressive metal?! Seventh Wonder is a true wonder! *tears of joy*
Let's start with the fact that the vocalist Tommy Karevik is also the current vocalist for Kamelot, and some Kamelot songs are touching and emotional, as much as gothic metal bands like Sentenced and Elis. Seventh Wonder, however, released a groundbreaking progressive metal album worth shedding a lot of tears. (SPOILERS COMING!!) Mercy Falls is a concept album about a man who was in a car crash and ends up in a comatose world called Mercy Falls. Inspired by The Human Equation, huh?
Almost similar to The Human Equation intro "Vigil", the intro "A New Beginning" begins with a car crash. Then it kicks off an epic orchestral tune that builds up to metal, along with noises and voices related to the incident. After that, the doctor and the man's wife dialogue really start the story. Doctors are still trying to wake the man, while the wife visits him and, before leaving, turns her radio on to comfort him. "There and Back" is another instrumental, and an awesome overture to set the tone for the story and the album. Welcome to the first real song, "Welcome to Mercy Falls", and enjoy the awesome melodies! Another song that makes me jump for joy is "Unbreakable". It has a happy chorus, plus a soft part with a very good bass solo. "Tears for a Father" is a soft 2-minute interlude/ballad with more of Tommy's emotional vocals.
"A Day Away" is a kick-A uplifting song with an awesome chorus. "Tears for a Son" is another small emotional "Tears" interlude/ballad. Then we kick the prog metal back to high gear again with "Paradise", another well-written song. In "Fall in Line", the lyrics combined with melodies can be challenging, but I got used to them faster than other owners of this album. Nothing in that album can get better...except for this next song, "Break the Silence"! They put some of the most awesome melodies in that song along with a brilliant lineup. The layered vocals sometime before the chorus sound as they instruct you on what to do for this song, "Let the music play! Let it go all the way!!"
"Hide and Seek" is as awesome as that previous song, but a close second. There's a long intro before Tommy's vocals return. I absolutely love the awesome melodies! The build-up to the chorus and the chorus itself is so perfect. More prog calls in "Destiny Calls"! Then things get emotional again with "One Last Goodbye". It is an absolutely stunning performance by Tommy and his sister Jenny. There's a beautiful background melody with more spoken dialogue from the doctor and the man's wife, which is a little out of place but still part of the story. After hearing a heart monitor flat-lining (my third album review to have that), the important interlude, "Back in Time" has a surprising twist; a few years ago, the wife told the man that her son was not his, which shocked him into crashing the car. That flashback was the last thing the man remembered before dying. "The Black Parade" starts aggressively before adding happy melodies. The chorus and keyboards are just epic! Perfect ending to a perfect album!!
Despite this 5-star rating, this album deserves more stars! A+++!!! This albums is so amazing and emotional. Until now, I've never realized how much emotion a concept album can have. I do not regret letting my earlier epic metal taste infect my current extreme era just by listening to this album. Why wouldn't I love it? I'm not guilty of losing my epic metal virginity again, nor embarrassed for shedding a few tears. It's my new favorite progressive metal album and a must-have for passionate music lovers. You won't be disappointed one bit. The epic progressive metal side of me is back, baby!
Favorites: "Welcome to Mercy Falls", "Unbreakable", "A Day Away", "Fall in Line", "Break the Silence", "Hide and Seek", "The Black Parade"