Band:	Seyminhol
Album:	Septentrion's Walk
Style:	Heavy metal, Power metal, Progressive metal
Release date:	2005
A review by:	Jeff

01. Chapter 12 : The Christian World's Death-Throes
02. Chapter 13 : A Furore Normannorum
03. Première interlude : A Fatal Omen
04. Chapter 14 : Laments Of A King
05. Chapter 15 : Return Of The Longsnake
06. Chapter 16 : Veizla Ok Drykkja
07. Seconde Interlude : In The Winding Of Thought
08. Chapter 17 : Godfred's Will
09. Chapter18 : And The North Now Had The Ships
10. Chapter 19 : Invaders
11. Chapter 20 : The Bloody Rampart
12. Troisième Interlude : Dawn Of The Gods
13. Chapter 21 : The Conquest Is Marching
14. Chapter 22 : Breath Of Fate
15. Quatrième Interlude : The Kiss Of Dusk

Seyminhol comes from France and if they still are an unknown band for you, believe me that it will have to change and as soon as possible, especially if you're looking for some amazing Symphonic and Epic Metal. Don't be afraid, Seyminhol doesn't follow the trend of all the Nightwish clones, at the opposite this band is a pure synonym of originality and their 2nd album "Septentrion's Walk" will be without any doubt one of the best release of the year in the category. Be ready to enter in the Epic and Magic Scandinavia of 8th century?

"Septentrion's Walk" is a conceptual album, actually this is the following of the first album of the band "Northern Recital" (2003), and the story takes place in the North of Europe during the 8th century. When I talk about concept album, you probably understand that the lyrics follow a story and that's evidently the case with this album, but you should also find a recurrent musical theme on several tracks of the CD. I like this idea, that gives the feeling, like with the main theme of a movie actually, that we're following a real story? it helps a lot. Also, the album is really long, 72 mins of pure happiness, and when you'll listen to the music you'll understand that we have a lot of work on this album.

The work on "Septentrion's Walk" is so impressive? really, don't believe that we're in front of a basic and easy album, at the opposite, there is a lot of things on it. Classical choruses, classical instruments, folk instruments (bag pipes etc) lyrical or death vocals and even some texts in Elvish? I don't have to add anything else the music of the album that flirts with the symphonic one of a Therion is a pure jewel of creativity. If you just want to understand how it sounds, just imagine a classy Melodic Heavy Metal with a true Symphonic spirit in addition of the Viking and Northern spirituality, it sounds nice and beautiful and the numerous variations of the themes like in the style itself are just wonderful. No doubt that "Septentrion's Walk" will stay in our memories for a long time, if the band has the luck to have a good promotional support (that's always the same problem for our French bands?).

Today and for now, no doubt that the "Septentrion's Walk" is the album of Symphonic Metal of the year. I hope that the fact that the band comes from France and not from Germany or Sweden will not penalize Seyminhol because they really doesn't suffer of any comparison with the leaders of the style. All is great even the production then you cannot miss this album (if you're evidently not allergic with Symphonic Metal and medieval stories). In one word, cult?