Band:	Akroma
Album:	Sept
Style:	Progressive black metal, Symphonic black metal
Release date:	2006
A review by:	Jeff

01. L' Orgueil
02. La Luxure
03. La Gourmandise
04. L' Envie
05. L' Avarice
06. La Colère
07. La Paresse

Listen to me guys and gals, Akroma is without any doubt one of the sensations of the year 2006, so please don't miss it! With the help of a lot of French musicians, Matthieu Morand, of the progressive combo Elvaron, chose to write a story based on the seven sins. If this subject is not really new, the concept of the album is at the opposite innovating and intelligent. If you like Melodic Death Metal, Gothic and Progressive music, be sure that you're in front of a little jewel!

The concept of this album is simply excellent. The main compositors of the project chose to talk about the seven sins ("sept" in French means seven). As I said before, this subject is not so new especially in Metal, but the innovating aspect of the album come with its form. Just have a look on it. We have seven songs, each songs talk about a futurist world with on each songs a story related to one of the seven sins. Each songs use a different musical tonality and the length of each song is equal to seven minutes. On each song you have a guitar solo and Mathieu and the other members of the band chose seven different guitarists, Alex Hilbert of Nightmare, Pascal Lanquetin of Carcariass, Nicolas Soulat of Outcast and etc (just have a look in the line up!) to play those soli. It's new and I don't remember that a band tried to do something like that before? I really think that the idea is great.

Musically speaking, Akroma mix a lot of different influences. On a side, the music has the class of a band like Misanthrope but with in additions, some classical instruments (violin, flutes etc) a la Haggard, the anger of a band like Furia and finally, some Progressive touches. This mix of Melodic Death with classical and progressive music is great, and for sure some of you will love this release if they like "Un Larc De Larmes Et De Sang", second album of the French combo Furia, especially when know that you have also some female vocals perfectly done by Adeline Gurtner (who was also the female singer on "Un Larc De Larmes Et De Sang"). The music is original and intelligent, the lyrics (in French) are well done and the whole concept of the album gives something new to the listeners, finally?

I didn't find a lot of problems on, this release excepted maybe, that it was probably better for the band to write the lyrics in English to touch al lot of others potential fans. The way to write it (the 7 minutes, the seven tonalities etc) was not so easy, but Mathieu and Bob (the singer) found the way to write something coherent and catchy. Plus, the production, sound like artwork and booklet, is just classy and really professional. I don't know if we will have some others albums with this band one day, but if it's possible, I hope that they will as good as this one.

"Sept" is a total success for me. This new, fresh full of surprises and the musical interpretations, the arrangements, are beautiful. Even if your Metal orientations are a bit strict and classic in general, you should have a look on this release you just need to be a bit open minded. Nothing to add, "Sept" is just one of the best albums of the year 2006.