Line Up: Jeff Scott Soto - Vocals; Marcel Jacob - Guitars, Bass; Fredrik Åkesson - Guitars; Jamie Borger - Drums, Percussion

We have always known what to expect from these guys, having released a string of records that have encompassed down the heavier path of melodic metal, which is no surprise, considering you have Jeff Scott Soto fronting the fold (as well as bassist Marcel Jacob behind the board), they have been your ‘meat & potatoes’ example of metal, or better yet The World’s Best Kept Secret. Like normal, 7 is heavy on the riffage, the grooves, and other sophisticated hard rock elements that keep the melodic stance of the band in tow.

The one thing about Talisman is that they don’t yield to just one style of songwriting; for example it’s always as if there is this sweet tooth for funk laden time signatures, although it’s not prevalent so much in the songwriting and production, but in the backbeat & rhythmic punch (so don’t panic).

But nevertheless the band scorches through hard rock ditties such as “End of the Line,” “Falling,” and “On My Way” while playing out more pop relevant tunes with both “The 1 I’m Living 4” & “Shed a Tear Goodbye,” exposing balladry with “Back 2 the Feeling,” oh, and they do play a full-blown funk tune called “Succumb 2 My Desire,” so I guess they have to let loose every now and then.

The production on 7 isn’t all out massive, it’s more straight ahead and in-your-face, being prevalent to records by Joe Lynn Turner and Glenn Hughes; you have always known that if you have ever wanted a really good rock/metal record, Talisman could always deliver. Speaking of which, this might be the last for a while, considering that Soto has joined Journey as their new frontman, but more power to him.