Seven Lions has released his most recent EP, Creation, on Casablanca Records. It has been a year since we have heard new EP from Jeff Montalvo and it seems as though he has been hard at work. I hate to say Seven Lions is back for he has never really gone away but rather he has grown as an artist. From Polarize and Days to Come, through Worlds Apart and Throes of Winter, Seven Lions has shown us his ability master the art of melodic dubstep with trance and drum and bass elements infused into his work.
I was lucky enough to attend the live stream, from the YouTube Studios in Los Angeles, where Seven Lions spoke about what elements inspired him during the Creation writing process. You can hear that live stream HERE. Inspirations came from metal days filled with White Zombie and Opeth to more folk and acoustic driven inspirations. Just sitting in the room watching Jeff talk about the Creation EP was a great experience but to finally hear some of the songs I have been researching through random clips on youtube was downright amazing.
Creation starts with an eerie melody that is the perfect starter to the Creation EP.
Following the intro is Summer of the Occult aka THE DRUM STEP ID I’ve been scouring the internet to find. Filled with hard hitting drums and thumping tribal like bass topped off with a Middle Eastern feel that is reminiscent of a track like ISIS
The title track Creation featuring Vök is one of my favorite works of art put out by Seven Lions to date. The song has already been played on Above and Beyond's Group Therapy. This may be because Creation is a trance gem that we have been longing for. The sound design involved with this song is why I consider Seven Lions to be the best in the business. To say that I am excited to hear this track live would be a gross understatement.
Coming Home featuring Mike Mains is a folk based acoustic song that may have most bass heads confused. It is songs like this that show exactly how creative and fearless Seven Lions really is. The song may be a bit of an anomaly in the collective work of Seven Lions to some fans, but in itself it is an amazing song that will have you singing the hook for days. It is a fun song that leaves me wondering how he might incorporate this into his live sets
In stark contrast to Coming Home is The Journey. This track is a dark more grungy song that pulls from Viking Metal roots. In the midst of the darkness is a beautiful melody that reminds me of a more renaissance time.
Falling Away featuring Lights was a single that was previously released by Seven lions but the song was reworked for Festival sets and added for it had more energy and it was a better fit for the theme of the EP
Finally the seven track ep comes to an end with Leaving Earth. This relaxed outro perfectly sends you off to space with ambient sounds and a chilled out feel.
Seven Lions is embarking on the Creation Tour, and personally I hope it culminates in a tour where Jeff Montalvo plays only his work somewhere down the line. I know anytime a Seven Lions show is near me I will be there and I recommend you don't pass up the chance to see his show, it will not let you down.
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