SEVENTH HEAVEN

This album is Azazello's best, that's for sure! The music is more mature than on their previous albums, and the guys show they are really good musicians! Their style combines heavy riffs in the vein of Dream Theater or Symphony X with classic music and Zappa music experiments with some Russian folk. All of these ingridients are perfecrly mixed in the style that is really unique. If you like prog music (not only prog metal!), grab this album! They are truly original!

Here is my second review on an Azazello album. The first was almost 2 years ago on their second release Upstairs from 2001. This time I will talk about their fifth studio album, not including their very early works, more like a demo or EP. So here is Azazello - Seventh heaven album release in 2004 at Starless records. I was very pleasent surprised when I listening from the very first to this band and I m very impressed now , again. Everything here is top notch, from the musicianship, who is BTW the strongest you can imagine on a prog metal band, really solid interplay between musicians, quite remarcable skills on each musicians, and above all very good and inovative ideas, not an every day album in prog metal zone, at least for me. I don't really know why they are so unknown in prog circles, they are simply amazing, keeping in mind that theu are coming from Russia, a place where to tell the truth is not a prog metal paradise. Anyway Azazello, did it again with this album, long instrumental passages, very well played, intristing and solid arrangements, that shows everything but DT clones. Very good band, quite unnoticed by the large public and is a shame because they really mean bussines in this domeiin. Great compositions, very lenghty, from the 7 pieces, only the first and last are shorter, the rest are all above eight min long. As I sais, very good instrumental passages, the keyboards have an important role with very clear and beautiful executions, Vitos Afanasiev is a really good musicin, not to mention the guitarist another example of profesionalism and good attitude. Every single piece is a winner in my ears, great album, maybe at same leverl with Upstairs, the best they done so far, this Seventh heaven is near. I will give 4 stars easy, one of the most enjoyble bands from prog metal, at least for me, who tries and most of the time succeded to come with something unusual in this field, not just followers like many bands. Recommended for sure, great and fresh band in my opinion who deasearve a wider recognition. Excellent this russians.