VANADIUM - Seventheaven [CD edition] (1989)

Founded in Milan in early 1980 by guitarist Stephen Tessarin, Vanadium has been one of the pioneers in the Italian heavy rock scene.
Their first recordings are influenced by the NWOBHM movement, but by the end of the eighties they decided to go for a more commercial, melodic hard rock style.

"Seventheaven" is an energetic melodic hard rock album with a scandi / american sound, with a bountiful dosis of keyboards and good choruses.
Opener "Italian Girl" is a real winner, a dynamic melodic rocker featuring an intense guitar / keyboard interplay and a catchy chorus, with very good arranged backing vocals harmonies. Reminds me the swedes Dalton.
"Natural Born Loner" has definitely a scandi / AOR sound. Great keys, beautiful bridge and sing along chorus. A very, very good track.
A major arpeggio guitar takes us into the emotional ballad "Take My Blues Away". This is seriously one of the best and unknown power ballad of the '80s.
The title track is a nice keyboard based instrumental, chained with the powerhouse rocker "Bad Attitude" in the Pretty Maids style.

On "One Way Ride" the band sounds absolutely americanized. The guitar riff is very L.A. mixed with old school keyboards, and the chorus is anthemic and catchy. Another highlight.
The magic keyboards of "Kill The Killer" are 'killers' indeed. This is a marching song, dynamic and hooky.
"Step Ahead Of Time" is another scandi melodic rocker full of melody. Maybe the chorus isn't strong as on the previous tracks, but the keys are so massive and huge that I can't resist to listen this song over and over again.
"To Be A Number One" sounds american again, with some melodic Dokken influences but with keyboards. Here the lead vocal is supported by a female chorus adding a curious effect.
Closer "Warriors" rock harder mixing the old style of the band with american chops.

"Seventheaven" is one of the best (if not the best) melodic rock / scandi AOR albums ever recorded in Italy.
Very hard to find for years and sought after by top collectors worldwide, it was released on CD in limited quantities not so long ago.
The transfer audio quality isn't the best (obviously from vinyl), this is the official edition, as it is, not a bootleg.
CDrip + artwork
Recommended.


01 - Italian Girl
02 - Natural Born Loner
03 - Take My Blues Away
04 - Seventh Heaven (Ruggero's Theme)/Bad Attitude
05 - One Way Ride
06 - Kill The Killer
07 - Step Ahead Of Time
08 - To Be A Number One
09 - Warriors


Pino Scotto di Carlo - Vocals, Backing Vocals
Stefano Tessarin - Guitars
Ruggero Zanolin - Keyboards
Domenico 'Mimmo' Prantera - Bass
Lio Mascheroni - Drums
Naimy Hacket, Guilia Fasolino, Silvio Pozzoli, Malcolm McDonald - Backing Vocals


VANADIUM - Seventheaven