Seven Eyed Crow - 2026 - Emerge

(48:35; M&O Music)

Track list:
1. Gaslighted 3:49
2. Eyed Wide Shut 7:29
3. Mind Blowing Signs 3:15
4. Until 3:41
5. Weird Boy 4:47
6. We All Shall Fall 4:47
7. Happiness Injunction 4:23
8. To My Old Man 4:40
9. Hello Stranger 5:30
10. Visions 6:14

Line-up:
Aurelien Boileau - guitars
Alexandre Pouzioux - guitars
Yoann Roy - bass
Frederic Lagorce - drums
Jerome Kloeckner - vocals
with:
Mathieu Pascal - guitars
Denis Cornardeau - guitars
Christophe Ithurritze - keyboards


Prolusion.
French band Seven Eyed Crow was formed back in 2013, and emerged with their debut album "Dark Ways To The Sun" two years later. Since then the band have issued a further two albums as well as an EP. The album "Emerge" is their most recent studio production, and was released through French label M&O Music at the start of 2026.

Analysis.
It is a more broadly appealing and contemporary take on the progressive metal tradition we get on this latest album by Seven Eyed Crow. The majority of the compositions follows a general structure here where the song alternates between gentler, and often delicate melodic passages and a more dramatic and heavy set eruption, and in many cases switching to a slightly different or quirkier expression in the second half of the song.

The calmer parts of the songs tend to be of a gentle melodic rock variety, with careful guitar details and a more easygoing flow being present, and rather often we get a little bit of a subtle jazz undercurrent to these parts. The more powerful sections, often the chorus part of the song, will often have more of a staccato and alternative metal vibe. With occasional side steps into more dramatic, crunchy guitar riff barrages.

We do get some exceptions to this along the way, albeit more in the line of the order of the structure than these alternative and contrasting passages being in place as such. But a cut like 'Mind Blowing Signs' comes with a lead vocal performance that at times reminds me of Mike Patton and Faith No More, while the perhaps aptly named 'Weird Boy' at some point gives me ever so slight associations towards good, old King Crimson and the guitar work of Robert Fripp.

We do get a few songs that hone in more on the gentle and melodic side of the band too of course, with the second to last song 'Hello Stranger' also featuring what sounds like a good, old fashioned saxophone solo.

Conclusion.
Seven Eyed Crow have delivered a solid production with "Emerge", where they explore the progressive metal tradition in an elegant, broadly appealing manner by blending melodic rock and alternative metal and spicing it all up with a little bit of a jazz impulse and a bit of quirky, technical oriented instrument details. An album to seek out by those who tend to enjoy a more melodic, contemporary and alternative trip into the progressive metal universe.

Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, September 2026

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/seveneyedcrow/
https://www.m-o-music.com/