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. 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,” Mike says. “We are known for discovering the world, travelling far
from home, exploring the seas.”
The omnipresence of death in the midst of blooming life and creativity is at the centre of Seventh
Storm. Here we see a hungry band arise that has given their soul for their 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. “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.
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!”
Tracklisting:
01. Pirate's Curse
02. Saudade (English Version)
03. Sarpanit
04. Gods of Babylon
05. The Reckoning
06. Inferno Rising
07. Seventh
08. My Redemption
09. Haunted Sea
10. Saudade (Acoustic)
11. Saudade (Acoustic)
12. Saudade (Portuguese version)
