Seventh Storm - Maledictus 2LP. Clear vinyl - only 1000 worldwide!

The omnipresence of death in the midst of blooming life and creativity is at the centre of SEVENTH STORM. 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. Here we see a hungry band arise that has given their soul for their music. “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. 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!”