SEVEN WISHES UTOPIA Z Records Produced by: Seven Wishes Released: OUT / Website Closest Relative: Dokken GENRE: Hard Rock

OVERALL: 80%

Out Of Sight Take My Heart Holyman Justify Unchain The Night Too Late For Tears Restless Heart Don't Fade Away Face That Evil Not So Innocent	Seven Wishes are back for their second album and back with an album that takes up where they left off, building on the credentials of the debut. Utopia is close to exactly that for lovers of European hard rock and the lost 80's sound of hard rockers like Dokken and Fifth Angel. This is a good solid album of pumping high energy hard rock, totally wrapped in the LA hard rock sound of the 80's, with guitar riffs and thoughts of hair extensions everywhere and a degree of Europeanisms that obviously comes from their location and upbringing. The guys try and sound American, but in reality, the sound of the album is still heavily influenced by the European hard rock genre. This is a better record than their debut, which would be fair to expect, given that their experience is growing, but it's good to see them deliver.
The sound is melodic hard rock, but on the heavier side of things, much in the vein of bands they have been compared to. There is probably no better track on the album that the opening number Out Of Sight. That's a cool rocker. There is a straight up cover of Dokken's Unchain The Night included, which should reinforce the description of their style for you. Just convert that to the European sound and production style. The vocals are an octave higher than Don Dokken's, but this will still appeal to fans of the old Dokken sound. The songs are what make the album. There are a few that don't quite hit the mark, with choruses and hooks that aren't as strong as they could have been. Especially mid album. But for the most part, the songs rock hard and their are plenty of old school George Lynch guitar licks. The opening three tracks are all rockers and are the best example of the band's songwriting prowess and style. Don't Fade Away and Face That Evil are two of the heavier album tracks, while Justify is the only real ballad of the album. A good one at that too. BOTTOM LINE: Fans of the band will easily recognize that this is their best album and it should also help them pick up new fans. It's an album that builds on their reputation and rocks hard in classic 80's melodic metal style. The guys have more potential and are yet to make their best album, but that fact will help fans look forward to the next album. For now, it's one of the better European hard rock albums I have heard.
PRODUCTION: 75%	SONGS: 82%	VIBE: 79%	ATTITUDE: 83%
ESSENTIAL FOR: Fans of the harder edged melodic rock, some Dokken and Fifth Angel fans.
DISCOGRAPHY:Seven Wishes . Utopia