Band:	Stoned Jesus
Album:	Seven Thunders Roar
Style:	Doom metal, Stoner metal
Release date:	March 21, 2012
Guest review by:	Ch'ti

01. Bright Like The Morning
02. Electric Mistress
03. Indian
04. I'm The Mountain
05. Stormy Monday

An album with a rather original and classic style at the same time, Seven Thunders Roar is close to the Black Sabbath style, but modernized.

Well, I'll already say that I'm not a huge fan of doom metal, and let's add that I'm not a fan of the Ozzy Osbourne period of Black Sabbath. I always preferred the shorter but punchier Dio period. Given that Stoned Jesus has, in my opinion, a lot of similarities with the precursors of doom metal (and even metal in general), it seems essential to me to clarify from the outset that I am not in love with the style of Ozzy Osbourne.

I can call Stoned Jesus the modern Black Sabbath, but I would be exaggerating a little. The band did not succeed in exploiting the now almost archaic style of the fathers of metal. The vocals have a lot of similarities with those of Ozzy Osbourne, and many riffs, especially those with a little slower pace, also remind us of the classic band. But, with an impregnation of modernity, we obtain a strange result that's honestly not the best.

The drums are simple and calm in Seven Thunders Roar, an album which, moreover, focuses not on the dynamism but rather on the demonstration. Some tracks have very good riffs like "Electric Mistress", which is accompanied by a wild bass, or even "Indiana", where we can hear a very nice bass-and-drums duo. But, despite some good riffs and nice music, I wasn't captivated by Seven Thunders Roar. I wouldn't go so far as to say I was bored, but the really interesting moments and the thrilling melodies were not jostling at the doors. The austere style that the band imposes on us lacks flavor. Overall, the music flows well and the album holds up well, but, again, I'm not thrilled.

Seven Thunders Roar enjoys a certain popularity, which surprised me, because, personally, I only see an attempt to bring back a classic style of the 70s/80s in a more modern and evolved era. And, in my opinion, Stoned Jesus has partly failed. In addition to a style that I already don't really like, I find the album not very exciting and almost bland, which is disappointing given how much this seems to be enjoyed by other listeners.

Maybe I'm being too harsh with Seven Thunders Roar. Maybe I don't understand the real interest of this album. But, personally, for those who don't necessarily appreciate doom metal, I advise you to go your way. In contrast, I can always recommend it to big fans of Black Sabbath who are looking for a style similar to the Ozzy period (or, should I say, periods).