A storm is coming. A tempestuous wind, arisen from the depths, ready to shake the foundations of the very earth and challenge all that we believe in. And in stormy times like this we need stormy tunes that make us spread our arms and cry out defiantly rather than hide from the forces of nature. None more fit for the task, of course, than Portuguese dark metal parvenus SEVENTH STORM, led by the immeasurable talent of Mike Gaspar.
Being the timekeeper of Portugal’s most important metal band MOONSPELL for almost 30 years, Mike 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. Having spent all of his teenage and adult years on Portuguese soil, he has mastered the art of melancholy, the ‘saudade’, long ago. 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,” Mikesays. “We are known for discovering the world, travelling far from home, exploring the seas.”
Here’s an artist that can understand that feeling of solitude far away from home better than most. For almost three decades, he travelled the world with MOONSPELL, making him a keen disciple of the Portuguese very own brand of weltschmerz. “We love and miss with all our heart this glorious past. One of the biggest pains in life is for those that never loved their lived to the fullest, to never have suffered their lost loved ones they left behind. To feel death and continue living nonetheless.”
The omnipresence of death in the midst of blooming life and creativity is also at the centre of SEVENTH STORM. Here we see a hungry band arise that has given their soul for their music, a baptism in blood by an alliance of brothers sworn to their unique brand of brooding, razorsharp, epic metal.
Lead by drummer extraordinaire Mike Gaspar, the ferocious line-up is completed by vocalist Rez, guitarists Ben Stockwell and Josh Riot as bass player Butch Cid. “Since I was gonna start a new band it was important that our message was strong,” Mike remembers of the origins. “We have all lost a bit of what really matters in our lives in the past two years. SEVENTH STORM stands for a continuation of brotherhood. Together we are strong, alone we are weak. The metal community gave me so much, now is time to give back.”
After feeling lost at sea as a consequence of leaving the MOONSPELL vessel, it took him quite some time of healing before he could muster the strength to start from scratch. “I decided to put all my experience and know-how in this project. It was thrilling for me to be the one to lead. There was a point were it did feel like “’School of Rock’,” he laughs. “Me sharing my influences, experiences and stories with the band… I’m just lucky to have them on my side. I like to say I’m passing the flames of Metal to them so we can continue growing together, as a real band.” Same goes for his fans who he always had a very strong connection to. He adds: “We are nothing without them. I have always admired them and taken time to listen to those that hear our 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. “Maledictus” truly shows the metamorphosis from Mike Gaspar, drummer to Mike Gaspar, metal renaissance man. “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”. So he set forth with his new allies to write nothing less that the dream record of every heavy metal fan: It’s heavy, it’s metal, it’s melodic and so full of unfiltered, raw emotion you cannot but bang your head to. “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!”
