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For The Record

      
         
         
         
     
             
7HY (Seven Hard Years) are a UK based melodic hard rock band formed by ex Shy drummer Alan Kelly and former Line Of Fire vocalist Shawn Pelata, with the bands debut album, 'No Place In Heaven' released in 2014. Their second album, 'Stories We Tell' was released in 2016, with the band releasing their third album 'For The Record' in 2017.    
             
With the impact of last years 'Stories We Tell' album still resonating around the globe, 7HY are not sitting back and taking it easy...just weeks after 'Stories We Tell' was released, the band began writing and recording their third album. 'For The Record' sees the band build on the melodic, AOR and hard rock blend, stepping up a gear and delivering a punchy and catchy collection of songs. 'Never Say Goodbye' gets the new album underway with an infectious buzz style guitar chug that begs for foot tapping and head nodding from the very first twang. Riffs and melodies are catchy, the vocals are clean and clear and 'Never Say Goodbye' is an immediate, happy mood inducing, party style anthem. Picking up the catchiness and adding the vibe associated with "driving tunes", 'Burning Rain' is a song to be played while driving your convertible, roof down, along the coast, on a very hot summers day. A superb slice of AOR, 'Burning Rain' will make you smile a mile wide. If you're expecting 'Nothing Hurts Me Like You' to be a lighters in the air style ballad, you couldn't be more wrong... 'Nothing Hurts Me Like You' continues the "driving tunes" vibe and is an anthemic style foot tapper of the highest quality. After only three songs, 'For The Record' is turning in a great performance and is looking like it'll be a must have addition to any AOR fans collection.    
             
With an upturn in the energy and intensity levels, 'Uprising' is a punchy and hard hitting hard rock romp. The album is going from strength to strength, with each song an aural delight of infectious rhythms that will keep smiling for a long time. Between the two founding band members, Alan Kelly and Shawn Pelata, they have many more years experience in the music industry than either of them will probably admit to, and this experience shines through, in terms of song writing, recording and performing. With a down turn in the bustling AOR style, 'Be Who You Want' increases the heaviness a little, stepping into the sleaze rock genre, bringing a touch of the blues with it too. 7HY are proving they are more than a match for many already established bands in the AOR genre, with 'For The Record' a huge statement of intent that 7HY are here to stay. Buzzing guitars and a slightly more abrasive sound sees 'Can't Let You Go' strut its stuff majestically, striding tall through the heavy rock genre, appealing to a much wider audience. 'That Song' joins 'Can't Let You Go' in the heavy rock genre, displaying a darker mood than anything heard previous on the album, but somehow 'That Song' retains the infectious and catchy nature that 7HY inject into every song they produce.    
             
Having previously sung in power metal bands Line Of Fire and Final Sign, singer Shawn Pelata is a versatile singer with an amazing range. In fact, Shawn has said that his heart is more in love with AOR than metal. Time for those lighters to make an appearance high in the air as the ballad 'Strangers Again' rolls in, all mellow and soulful and will have you swaying from side to side as it saunters on. 'We Can Be Strong' is a mix of blues, sleaze, jazz and rock as it swaggers on with a boundary pushing vocal delivery. In terms of musical style and delivery, 'For The Record' is a much more varied album than 'Stories We Tell', appealing to a wider audience and propelling 7HY to the forefront of the melodic AOR/hard rock genres. 'I'm Gonna Be You' returns the album to the classic signature sound of 7HY, as heard across the opening songs on the album. Catchy, infectious and memorable, 7HY are proving themselves as masters of this trait. The power ballad 'What Love Can Make Me Do', is ballsy, punchy and hits hard. If any more proof was needed that 7HY have grown and got better than last years release, 'What Love Can Make Me Do' is all the proof you'll ever need. After nearly forty minutes and eleven songs, the album strolls into the final song, a six minutes plus epic that swings its way through AOR, hard rock, power ballad and some of the most catchy and sing a long-able lyrics you'll ever hear. 'What Is The World' is a glorious end to a fantastic album. The 7HY juggernaut rolls on mercilessly, leading the way in the melodic AOR genre with another breath taking album.    
             
Overall, an album of varied musical styles, strongly rooted in the melodic AOR/hard rock genres, that will make you smile, foot tap and head nod from start to finish.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for 7HY    
             
     
Other Reviews            
             

           
           
Stories We Tell      
           
"a sparkling collection of AOR blended with hard rock, 7HY have delivered a cracking album, setting them on a path to global acceptance" Read Review      
     
     
     
           
             
             

           
           
No Going Back      
           
"a superb offering, full of melodic mastery and astounding AOR, 'No Going Back' is a titanic, gigantic, mountain of beauty and love" Read Review      
     
     
     
           
             
             
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