Azazello - Seventh Heaven

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Azazello - Seventh Heaven

Artist:	Azazello
Title:	Seventh Heaven
Label:	STARLESS STR06
Length(s):	62 minutes
Year(s) of release:	2004
Month of review:	[09/2005]

Line up

Alexander Kulak - guitars, vocals
Vitos Afanasiev - keys, flute, backing vocals
Dmitry Bakay - bass
Idris Faridonov - drums

Tracks

1)	Beginning	(2.17)
2)	Macrocosm	(12.02)
3)	Microcosm	(10.51)
4)	The Mystery	(8.29)
5)	Restless Rest	(10.49)
6)	Seventh Heaven	(8.55)
7)	Blessing	(2.59)

Summary

The music

Despite the English title the album -including its artwork- is completely in Russian (okay, there are two URLs in roman script). The band's sound can be described as classically influenced prog metal, without the more obvious Rhapsody reference. The synth sound is akin to Mark Kelly's (purely the sounds used), but being applied to fuga-like mid sections the feel is quite different from Marillion. Apart from that the guitarist sometimes uses a sound similar to the wah-wah guitar (most ostentatiously used by Peter Frampton), but with a twist. The main influence appears to be Yngwie Malmsteen stylistically, though. And, yes, this includes the sort of technical bravery that draws the attention away from the melody. Then of course we have vocals in Russian, which I guess are an acquired taste to westerners.

Beginning is the sort of intro or overture you might expect from an album like this. Macrocosm and Microcosm are so close together you don't really notice moving from the one into the other. These two tracks very much put the Malmsteen-type classical influences on display, forming a showcase of the band's possibilities.

The Mystery has a somewhat medieval sound. The flute is a main cause for this, but the vocal inflections and acoustic guitar help create the effect. Halfway into the track we go through what sounds like drunken bawling, setting us for a bridge led by piano, later returning to the original style. This track definitely has an original side to it. Having said that, I also thought it somewhat deviant from the style proposed by the album.

Restless Rest starts off with an erratic and very much restless break ridden intro. In the vocal sections there is some rest in the track, if only because that is needed to give them a proper backdrop. The instrumental sections however are quite experimental and easy to change direction or signature. Interesting, but disruptive too. Despite this the band refrain from going over the edge, helped by the semi climax they work towards midway through.

Seventh Heaven is more rock oriented, maintaining the technical ability. Due to this the track can get pretty pushy once we move into instrumental sections, while being loud and even somewhat pompous at other moments. Not the album's best cut.

Blessing is an outro of the expected type. After some two minutes silence this is followed by a ballad mainly led by piano and vocals. This track -despite being a tad on the simple side rhythmically- sheds the yoke of technique of the rest of the album, and due to that has a more sincere, less cerebral feel. Thus we have the situation that the ghost track is my favourite.

Conclusion

After listening to this album you won't have any doubts as to the technical abilities of the members of Azazello. However, the jury is still out on the compositorial abilities. We are presented with some nice bits of experiment as well as semi-classical semi-fugues, but never did I feel drawn in by the emotion or swept off my feet by the grand melody (although the ghost track made a decent attempt). From that you might conclude that this is a musician's album.