Review by Shane Wheeler
Journalist/Music Critic from Kelowna, Canada


When I first hear an album, I like to do so without knowing anything about the band; I like to allow the music to sink in at the pace it was recorded for. I like to make my own decisions, and I like to feel it evolve as the hourglass empties. So, I was in my world when I was able to hear Y, the debut album from unknown American progressive rock band 7DOVE.

Y is a very unique album, unlike almost anything that I have heard in a long time. I'll put this out there - it's one of the finest progressive rock albums, and it's one of my personal favorite records. It's been in constant rotation since I first heard it, which can be a problem as a freelance music critic. But I don't mind; the music is so good that it deserves to be heard.

So, the album has seven tracks, but several songs, though I consider it one piece of music. Each track, more or less, consists of a song, and an interlude, or an instrumental. It all weaves into one bigger picture, and that's where the magic happens.

The first track is called 'Fury'. It begins with a breath, and the music starts with piano. It contains whispered lyrics, but is generally an instrumental. It's an excellent overture, and it begins the album well. There's a piano interlude after it, before the first actual song.

Track 2 is called 'Hello - Pierced Dove'. It's acoustic guitar-laden, and it somewhat reminds me of Porcupine Tree. Being one of my favorites, that's a compliment. The song has some soaring guitar in it, and it's very well written. It's very long, but the vocal buildup reminds me of Pain of Salvation, working towards a great climax. I was sold on the album when the vocalist breaks from the chorus and soars "Can you take away the pain? Can you put away the past?..." The emotion presented by the vocalist is amazing, and I'm ashamed I haven't heard of him previously. The song then ends with another breath, not unlike those in the first track, and a very emotional piano interlude is played, transferring us to the next track.

Crater Creators is probably my favorite, if I had to pick one. It has an orchestral theme over a groovy bass riff. Then the piano comes in to add to the melody. It's a wonderfully constructed song, and the vocal lines are extremely catchy. The chorus is one of the highlights of the album, and the prowess at songwriting has to be emphasized.

Helpless is a piano instrumental, not unlike Pain of Salvation's Pluvius Aestivus. There's clearly many, many years behind the piano player, and the song does well proving this.

The next track, Battle Within, is excellent progressive metal. It has a near-punk beat to it, occasionally slowing down, adding incredible depth to the track. It also feels like it holds a traditional Scottish theme to it, but it's extremely subtle and well done. It slows down at the midway point, and the beat resembles that of Crater Creators. The vocalist shows again the emotion that he skillfully presents. And, again, the song builds up to an excellent climax to close out this highlight track.

One Lost Night is a good conclusion to the album, being in the form of a power-ballad. Starting with a melodic acoustic guitar/piano intro, the drums kick in, before the song slows as another emotional performance is delivered. The song builds as it goes on, and a powerful guitar solo punctuates the track. It ends as it started, with acoustic guitar, as the next track queues.

Astray begins with a beat, and this is probably the highlight to some. It explodes into some powerful riffing, with the same breathing as seen on the first track. After an extended intro, it weaves into a coherent song. The musicianship is on display in this track, and should keep everyone entertained. The song ends, and another song begins shortly thereafter - an excellent conclusion to this excellent album.

I must state the absurd - the vocalist here reminds me of a new-age Steven Wilson (the genius behind Porcupine Tree, No-Man, Blackfield...). I look forward to hearing more from these guys in the future. I feel sorry for bands debuting with fantastic records, because they're often very hard to exceed. Let us wait and see if 7DOVE can.