Seventh Calling / Monuments

What a pleasant surprise I got when I listened to Monuments, the debut release from Minneapolis Minnesota's Seventh Calling. It seems as though everybody is jumping on the extreme metal bandwagon these days, and if not, they're doing strictly the power metal thing, or strictly the prog thing, etc, etc. You get the point. Well let me say, what we have here is good old fashioned Heavy Metal, period. When the band lists Judas Priest, Metal Church, Fates Warning, and Dio as some of their influences, they aren't kidding. While not sounding particularly like any of the aforementioned bands, that old school metal feel is there. At times they are reminiscent of Dokken. Not the glam, hair metal influence, but the George Lynch shredding guitar work combined with the solid Pilson/Brown rhythm section. There is plenty of heavy duel guitar work going on as band founders and guitarists Lance Lange and Steve Handel work extremely well in tandem. Here's where you feel that Priest influence, the solid powerful rhythm of the band, solidly backing up several commanding guitar solos. These guys are real good players. The songs on Monuments are mostly mid-tempo, and heavy, but still very catchy and well put together. Tunes like "Silent Screams", Fight For Your Life", and "Mercyless" really shine.