REVIEW: SEVEN THORNS – Return to the Past

 

SEVEN THORNS – Return to the Past

Nightmare Records

There are certain albums that instantly trigger a familiar image. For me, Return to the Past brought to mind the Greek summer TV schedule: everyone is on holiday, and the channels keep recycling old series on repeat. That sense of déjà vu — of something seen and heard too many times — is exactly what defines this release.

SEVEN THORNS draw heavily from the classic lineage of Euro power metal, with clear influences from GAMMA RAY, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, HELLOWEEN, and FREEDOM CALL. It’s the style we usually label as “happy Euro power,” a genre I personally have no issue with; in fact, there are several bands within it that I genuinely enjoy. The problem here is not the genre — it’s the execution.

The album leans so heavily on established formulas that it ends up recycling the most predictable clichés of the style. Instead of channeling the energy and imagination of the bands that shaped this sound, SEVEN THORNS deliver a version that feels overly safe and creatively restrained. It’s the kind of record that makes you want to stop it halfway through and reach for the classics — the albums that defined this genre with far more conviction and originality.

To their credit, the musicianship is solid. The band clearly has technical ability, and their performance is tight. But technical skill alone isn’t enough when the songwriting lacks spark. What’s missing here is imagination — the element that transforms influence into identity.

Return to the Past is so typical, so strictly by‑the‑numbers, that I struggle to imagine even the most devoted fan of this genre finding something truly memorable in it. Still, as always, the final judgment belongs to the listener. Give it a spin before deciding where to invest your money — but manage your expectations.

Nick Parastatidis