The debut album entitled Underwater, by Seven Against Thebes, is a bone crushing amalgam of instruments and incendiary vocals from a pacific northwest band with songwriting by Cyrus Rhodes, while stationed on a deployed submarine: hence his moniker “Underwater Music.” Perhaps this “cocoon” experience brought out some complex arrangements and time signatures in the songs, with an album full of self-destructiveness by design. Having served in the US Navy, and the result is a fantastic ride through 12 of some of the most killer tracks to be heard on either side of the Seattle region.
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“Serpens Caput” opens the album with eastern string work, which bubbles along before building up with some electric work over it, setting up the mood for the entire album. This opener gives a taste of what Rhodes’ chops are all about, with some excellent playing. But following with the next number “7 A.T.” things get downright grungy, and the tempo goes up so far it’s almost punk rock with an Alice In Chains vocal style. By this time, you know it’s on, complete with “Dirt” antics and even some Suicidal Tendencies attitude in there. And it just gets better and better from there.
“Equilibrium” manages to combine these influences, with an eastern break or two around a more lor less punk fest with great vocal melodies to top it off with no exceptions. The vocals really impress with a throwback to the early 90s, reminding of singers like Layne Staley and Kevin Martin (Candlebox). But other tracks go the distance getting into influences such as Tool, on “Nemesis” and showing a more technical side which is present on the album but not dominant. Things really start to rip at this point.
The experimental “Mask” almost stays in Tool mode, but even dares to go beyond the time signature percussion, with a much more soulful vocal approach making it all the more interesting, and “7th Sign” slows things down to a spiritual groove with acoustic guitar and a chant about Palestine. And “Prey For Me” naturally follows with an epic effect and then some, with awesome fuzzy vocals and huge breaks. The consensus by now would be this album is worth anyone’s time, granted they get wind of it. “Feed The Furnace” brings more incendiary guitars and vocals, as well as “Swandiver” is full of beauty and brash throughout another excellent piece of work.
The final three tracks are no exception on an album full of hard rock and enough diversity, drama and storytelling to make it everlasting and timeless to the day. “Ophiuchus” creeps along into a mass crescendo before it’s over, and a glorious wall of noise it is, leading into “Suicide Note.” This is the one point where it gets depressing, but suits the self-destructive cause, nevertheless, not a bad thing, just where some relationship content enters the picture. The album closes with another point of interest being “Serpens Cauda” which comes complete with crashing symbols and the whole gong show.
This is an album with high points all over the place, starting with songwriting, moving through playing/studio performance and excellent production, with the weakest link honestly being none.
Garth Thomas