Seven More Days – Little Dark Pleasures

Before giving Little Dark Pleasures by Seven More Days a proper grilling, I blasted it out a few times in the car to and from four night shifts in the week. First play made me think it was “Pompous and who is that on guitar?” and the second play, “Grandiose but WHO IS THAT ON GUITAR?”

When I sat down today to give it a good going over I was amazed to find out it was their debut album as it oozes with confidence like an Asia, Damn Yankees, HSAS or Chickenfoot like supergroup maturity. A rarely used phrase of “All killer, no filler” applies here as the ten songs on display a peacock like bravado of auspiciousness, point proven by album opener ‘Salanders Tale’. A gentle acoustic intro with a softly crooned vocal from Darren Valentine is blasted out of the way by some demolition ball riffing from Chris Porter. A more powerful, melodic vocal creeps in with a slight snarl that hangs onto some long notes as a guitar solo whizzed like lightning bolts through my headphones.

Juddering rhythms backed by hypnotic drum pounds propel ‘Dazzle’ along as Dio esque roars power up the ante. A black hole of strings and a heart wrenching vocal draws you into ‘Not Too Long’ that loosens its grip for a laid back outro guitar solo. ‘One Mind’ is a devilishly  wicked heavy power ballad that’s so intense its seven minute duration flies by. ‘Back From The Dead’ is a hairs up on the back of the neck number in the choruses with an outro guitar solo that had me wide eyed with amazement. The chorus in ‘By Your Side’ is chanted mantra like to draw you in as once again you must wonder if Chris’ guitar is indestructible to survive the solo that is dragged out of it. ‘Don’t Let You Know’ is breathtaking, simply breathtaking. A ballad that seemed to stop time elsewhere for its three minute duration.

On a lighter note ‘Castles In The Sky’ has more crunch than a box of McCoys crisps and ‘Like Rain’ is thrilling hard rock, its lyrics portraying a tale of love lost, for example “Tears are the rain drops from the depths of your soul” and the album ends far too soon with ‘Ode To Innocence’, another sumptuous ballad to add to their ever growing list of sure fire crowd pleasers. The album is that good I’ll pinch a phrase I heard from the Hairy Bikers today on Planet Rock that “It’ll take the lumps out of your gravy”!

Little Dark Pleasures album track listing :-

Salanders Tale.

Dazzle.

Not Too Long.

One Mind.

Back From The Dead.

By Your Side.

Don’t Let You Know.

Castles In The Sky.

Like Rain.

Ode To Innocence.

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