Second War in Heaven

Although not exclusively a European phenomenon, most of what culminated in the second wave of power metal at the close of the millennium either came from said continent or otherwise adopted a sound more in line with the one dominating the same location. Even among those that would rise to prominence from North America such as Iced Earth and Kamelot have become more readily associated with the European sound by the time 1999 rolled in, despite both originally planting their flags on territory more readily reserved to the land of stars and stripes. But there were a few exceptions that found more inspiration from the likes of Omen and Helstar than that of Helloween and Blind Guardian, and one of the more overt examples of a band not only casting their lot with the USPM but also coming dangerously close to sounding like they were from said style's mid-80s heyday was Jack Frost's newly birthed flagship project Seven Witches. Alongside the likes of Symphony X, they would be at the forefront of putting New Jersey and the rest of the Mid-Atlantic region back on the map to compete with the somewhat more prolific one emerging in Florida thanks to the strides made by Thomas Youngblood, Jon Schaffer and the auspicious stylistic pivot made by Chuck Schuldiner (i.e. the short yet consequential rise of Control Denied).

Most who know of this band's rather obscure first studio outing in Second War In Heaven likely encountered it thanks to the 2006 reissue by Crash Music, which alongside its de facto sequel City Of Lost Souls was given a somewhat lukewarm reception given the band's very different sound by the mid-2000s, to speak nothing for the general trend away from either a vintage heavy or speed metal sound in power metal circles at said time. To be fair, Jack Frost has always straddled the fence between traditional and modernity between his often forgotten early days with Frost Bite and the brief groove metal project Speeed (which fielded one album the same year that this came out), but by the standards of a late 90s album originally released via Massacre Records, this was at least moderately comparable to the German speed metal-infused sound that was spearheaded by Teutonic fellow-travelers Spiral Tower and Powergod, the latter being a band to which Seven Witches' early offerings are often compared. In contrast to said bands, the approach taken here lean back to more of a moderately fast sound as exhibited by the likes of Crimson Glory and Sanctuary on their respective debuts, reaching to more of a vintage Black Sabbath and Judas Priest sound and upping the ante in the aggression department a bit.

Taking on a familiar aesthetic of supernatural warfare and a Christian-inspired struggle between darkness and light, this is an album that makes no secret of its adoration of the 80s, to the point that Jack and company seem to be making up for lost time given their respective late entries into the original metal scene in the early 90s forcing them to toil in the underground for several years. Ironically enough, while this is very much Jack Frost's baby and he cranks out some truly classic 80s-inspired riffage and a few impressive feats of lead guitar gymnastics, vocalist Bobby "Leather Lungs" Lucas steals the show here. His signature sound can be best described as what James LaBrie would be if he were to suddenly channel the spirit of Midnight (who was still alive and kicking at the time), replete with moments of insane high notes and a generally maniacal tone that was likely a bit perplexing to those who taken by the legion of Michael Kiske imitators coming out of Europe, though definitely quite similar to ShadowKeep's Rogue Marechel and original Powergod front man Leo L. Sing. Just a single listen to the opening crusher "Dying Embers", which bears heavy similarity to iconic Queensryche anthem "Queen Of The Reich", showcases a veritable madman ready to raise an entire village to the ground with little more than a sword, a few henchmen and a can do attitude.

Just about every crevice of this album's 44 minute duration is loaded with prime cut metallic fury, letting up only occasionally for a few moments that come off as borderline hard rock-like. Barring this album being a bit rough around the edges and sporting a drum sound that's a bit thin and tinny (a forgivable Persian Flaw that actually gives this album more of an authentic retro feel), it could almost be described as flawless, with fist-raising anthems like "Camelot", "Bewitchment" and speeding closer meets title song "Second War In Heaven" oozing enough old school heavy metal thunder to deafen an entire kingdom while sticking to a fairly compact and predictable mode of songwriting. Even the somewhat more involved and nuanced offerings such as haunting acoustic number turned punchy, Omen-inspired riff machine "Seven Witches" and the somewhat more Queensryche-leaning semi-ballad "In A Small Child's Room" avoid some of the excesses often associated with more epic heavy metal offerings and keep things on the conventional side. Things lean a bit more in a hard rock direction with the entry of the more groove-trending and formulaic "Nightmare (The Devil Inside)" and the metallic transmogrification of Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain", but even these more restrained offerings come off like a sonic Blitzkrieg due to Lucas' wild vocal interpretation.

It's a rare occasion when a band hits pay dirt with their first studio outing, but Second War In Heaven is the pinnacle of this band's now 20 year run, especially in the eyes of anyone who craves that primordial version of power metal that first came raging out of the continental U.S. at around the same time that Metallica's iconic debut album hit the market. It is quite fitting that this band took the occasion to also offer up a cover of Manowar's "Metal Daze", because this is definitely reach for that same sense of back to basics, heavy metal primitivism that said band tapped into when they first unleashed Battle Hymns upon the unsuspecting masses. The total package may come off as a bit rustic for those who came to expect massive compositions after either the symphonic, progressive or melodic strain that were beginning to pour out of Europe as the 90s were drawing to a close, but when compared to the raw intensity of Sanctuary's Refuge Denied or Helstar's Remnants Of War, this is a truly spellbinding listen that was in sparse yet respectable company when considering the number of prominent American acts like Steel Prophet and the then recently reformed Jag Panzer. Sometimes the best things come in simple packages, and this is about as basic of a gauntlet-clad fist to the skull as one could get out of the U.S. for its time.

Okay, so I admit it--I am into GOOD traditional metal. That said, I don't know what the above reviewer Erin Fox was smoking (one of Mr. Frost's, 'Yes Men' perhaps?), because this album is one of the best ever released by this band--a mediocre outfit at best. And it is well documented that Mr. Frost himself downplays the fist two Seven Witches albums -- and his writing partnership with original vocalist Bobby Lucas.

Originally relesed by Massacre Records and now re-released by Crash music, this debut cd has a nice bottomy sound with crunchy guitar work and crystal-clear mid-to-high range vocals courtesy of Lucas (Overlorde). The bands sound is indeed very reminiscent of BLACK SABBATH, IRON MAIDEN, and even JUDAS PRIEST--it just had not been developed enough yet on this album.

Nice catchy riffs in 'Bewitchment', 'Camelot', and the bands 'theme song' 'Seven Witches' are all top quality. And the voice on Lucas brings to mind Ronnie Dio and Bruce Dickinson with a bit of Halford thrown in for good measure. The songwriting here is alot stronger than on the bands next few albums--most likely due to everything being co-written by Bobby, who's work with OVERLORDE surpassed anything on this effort. Aside from 'City Of Lost Souls', 'Xiled To Infinity And One', and 'Passage To The Other Side' (with legendary singer James Rivera), this debut release is the closest this band gets to traditional metal. Recent releases with Alan Tecchio (Hades) sound more like 'Black Witches Society' featuring 'Zakk Frost'! Jack is definitely an adequate player--but he is no 'guitar god'. What he needs is a second guitarist to share the leadwork, as well as a return to Witches traditional metal sound. Leave the 'nu-metal' (yikes!) to Korn, Linkin Park, and similar "Yo, YO!" metal bands.

Since there was only one more release by this lineup ('City Of Lost Souls'), it is a shame they never had the chance to develop. The revolving door of supporting members says alot about what working conditions with band leader Jack Frost must be like--can you say 'Ritchie Blackmore Syndrome'? This band has had about 25 singers in ten years, 12 drummers, and 9 bassists (lol)!!! Anyway, if your looking for a GOOD (not great) metal album that may have fell through the cracks, this one is worth checking out.

Crash has seen fit to capitalize on the attention surrounding the latest Seven Witches album by reissuing the band’s older material. Unfortunately, the band’s previous incarnation just can’t measure up to the current lineup, with scant highlights to be found on “Second War In Heaven.” Guitarist Jack Frost’s shredding is blistering yet clumsy and the complete cheeseball vocals of Bobby Lucas may be talented from a technical standpoint, but he often sounds amateurish and during his worst moments, just plain silly.

Emphasizing themes that were worn out by Sabbath and Dio in the early eighties, Seven Witches certainly give a good try at what might be considered as the most traditional brand of metal, yet “Camelot” and “Nightmare (The Devil Inside)” often sound like really bad Sanctuary, with a thin production doing little to help matters. The record does; in fact, sound like it was recorded in the eighties, technologically speaking, with the exception of Frost’s leads, which seem oversaturated with effects in comparison to the rest of the mix.

With the interest for this type of music in the US being quite mediocre, “Second War In Heaven” winds up leaving similar sentiments. It’s apt to be of interest to die hard Seven Witches fans, especially those looking to learn more about the group’s history and the progression behind their current sound, but most metal fans will find this reissue to be lackluster at best.