Seventh Storm - Maledictus - CD DIGIPAK

Ex-MOONSPELL drummer Mike Gaspar returns with a stormy new band that will drag you right into their raging sea of gothic metal, melancholic hard rock and thunderous riffs. Limited edition digipak incl. three bonustracks.

Being the timekeeper of Portugal’s most important metal band MOONSPELL for almost 30 years, Mike Gaspar has finally settled on a new outlet with which to celebrate his love for heavy metal, his cultural heritage and his passion for untamed, feral music with roots reaching deep into the fabric of our world. His debut with his new camaraderie SEVENTH STORM, soaring, wistful, anthemic masterpiece "Maledictus" proves it runs through his veins like blackened blood. "The melancholy comes from our historical past", Mike says. "We are known for discovering the world, travelling far from home, exploring the seas."

The omnipresence of death in the midst of blooming life and creativity is at the centre of SEVENTH STORM. Here we see a hungry band arise that has given their soul for their music. Apart from playing the drums in his artistically demanding and ferocious way, Mike Gaspar also wrote and arranged the whole album from beginning to end. A gargantuan task for him – and one he pulled off with the air of a veteran songwriter. "I wanted to write an album about that fans from all cultures can say ‘this is mine’", he says of the primary force behind writing "Maledictus". "My dream essentially was to try and bring back a bit of that innocent nineties touch. And to mix traditional Portuguese music with metal."

With influences ranging from Bathory via Samael, Tiamat, Paradise Lost, Fields of the Nephilim, Cradle of Filth and Dead Can Dance to even Van Halen or Mötley Crüe, SEVENTH STORM are only just embarking on a journey across the wild and wondrous waters of heavy metal history. And while not being a concept album, "Maledictus" is tied together by a strong sense of pain and anger, paired with a flickering hope of forgiveness for our lives – nowhere better exemplified than in the otherworldly beauty that is the song "Saudade". "I wanted a song that spoke to the people with a care and love for our land", Mike says. "Our love for our parents. The memory of those we have lost and miss so much. This feeling that some friends or relatives are still here with us on our side guiding and giving us direction. One person I thought of a lot was Peter Steele. He was an amazing human being a good friend. A gentle giant. I really felt like he was sometimes pushing me to do what I was meant for." Mike pauses and smiles sadly. "He was also a huge fan of Portuguese culture and our wine of course."

Recorded at Dynamix Studios in Lisbon in May and October 2021, with mixing duties handled by icon Tue Madsen, SEVENTH STORM completed their debut within a year after Mike's departure from Moonspell – a demonstration of sheer willpower. He remembers: "On the 25 of April of 2021 I announced my new band – the day the Portuguese dictatorship ended back in 1974. We felt it would be a strong message to announce the band on that date." For him and his band of buccaneers alike, "Maledictus" is a new beginning. "It’s our grand stand", he says. "This is us showing that not all is lost. That our past was not in vain. We are here to stay!"