Even when scanning the booklet, I can’t get title images that fit within my cropping size. In order: Wolfgang Zenk, Markus Froschmeier, Klaus Engl, Markus Grützner

Track list

1. Diffusion
2. Indigo Dunes
3. Emoctify
4. The Winding Path
5. Silent Flow
6. Cyclotron
7. Spiral Dance
8. Hidden Depths
9. Mystic Mouse

Genre

Progressive rock, jazz fusion, metal

Release

January 25, 2008

Label

MGI Records (KDC)

Background Information

I reviewed 7for4’s two first albums (Time and Contact) a few weeks ago (link), and through some luck and google help, their band leader Wolfgang Zenk left a comment and asked me for my address in order to review Diffusion, their most recent album at the moment. I was fairly excited (hey, first direct benefit of reviewing music!) and replied real fast hoping it would not be some sort of disguised lawsuit.

Good news, I received the album via snail mail from Germany just today, listened to it 3-4 times and posted this review on the same day. So let’s start with more details on the band, given I could get more informations than last time. The line-up stayed the same: Wolfgang Zenk on Guitars, Markus Grützner on Bass, Klaus Engl on Drums and Markus Froschmeier on Keyboards.

It turns out Zenk is the manager and a teacher/lecturer of the MGI Munich, a very well known (in Germany) institute for professional guitarists. Klaus Engl is a teacher too, he worked for the drum-institute “Drummer’s Focus” (also in Munich) and played along Markus Grützner before (in the band SERUM). Markus Grützner was a bassist for many Jazz fusion bands and also played on tours of “Hair“, a Broadway musical. You can just get to their respective biography pages for the information needed.

Diffusion took the band about 2 years to record, and once again was all produced, written and arranged by Wolfgang Zenk himself. You may still get the feeling the album is more oriented toward guitar, but while looking closer, you’ll manage to put yourself in doubt on that subject.

My opinion

7 For 4’s new album starts with Diffusion, which introduces us with a mellow jazzy guitar line. 7 For 4 didn’t change their recipe: as with the previous albums, it soon changes for a rock-metal style which could remind me of the band Royal Hunt without lyrics. It’s always cut by jazzy lines on bass and guitar, hard to hate, really. It’s followed by Indigo Dunes, where the keyboards have a sound similar to the ones used by Liquid Tension Experiment, and a similar use too. In Overall, this track has a slower tempo than most of what 7 for 4 gave us by the past, but it’s nonetheless really interesting, especially when considering the basslines taking their places in there. A really balanced piece, one of the best on the CD in my opinion.

The Winding Path has a great introduction, slower, well sustained with well placed piano. Similarly to Emoctify, it gives a strong Liquid Tension Experiment vibe in its heaviest parts. The structure of The Winding Path is slightly more classic-oriented than many other compositions, as far as I can tell. Not a bad thing, it reminds you of stricter symphonic metal, something Vinnie Moore could be proud of if he wasn’t so lost back there in the 80’s.

Silent Flow is way closer to an ambiance track than anything the band has pulled before (except maybe X-Dreams and parts of Rockalaxy, from Contact). Its composition mainly relies on the guitar, with support from Grützner’s fretless sound. It’s a track with a refinement they did not possess before, and it’s frankly great to see them able to still find new stuff to give to their listeners given the number of genres they already managed to cover before. I would almost go as far as saying that Zenk’s guitar nearly reminds me of some of the stuff David Gilmour could do, at least in the feeling. It comes close.

Cyclotron is really fast-paced piece, on every instrument, and as with every album from 7 for 4, you get slower bits at some points, but this never lasts too long. Really, it’s the same pattern that can be heard in Spiral Dance or mostly any other song, except it doesn’t grow old due to the fact that while the structure is the same, the recipe changes. I mean there are many kinds of pie, and even if it’s chocolate or apple pie, it’s still a pie. And it’s hard to stop wanting more (I am mastering the art of pointless analogies.)

Oh yeah, I just mentioned Spiral Dance, but I must add it’s the mandatory Latin song on the album. Contact and Time both had at least a Latin track, and Diffusion doesn’t break the rule, although the band incorporated some neo-prog-like keyboards in it. When it stops, you go back to an acoustic/classical guitar filling the track, something Zenk doesn’t prepare us for beforehand.

Hidden Depths is way jazzier, led by Grützner’s fretless bass at times. This goes up there with Silent Flow in terms of closer to ambiance and refined sound. Again, one of my favourites from the album. So far I’ve liked the 3 slower tracks more, so maybe it’s just my mood at the moment, but I like the direction 7 For 4 takes with this album.

I’ll leave Mystic Mouse as described by the band:

Take 7 and add 4, then divide into 4 equal parts, as far as possible. You get an 11/8 beat with subdivisions 3-3-2-2. All you need to add to finish the song is some chords. How’s that for mystic…?

It’s got a much darker ambiance, with techy-sounding keyboards. Each note is cut dry, you get a big staccato-ish feel out of it. I could say it’s not the best song to end the album, but near the finale, there’s a shift and it’s not that bad. I still feel Hidden Depths and Mystic Mouse could have had their positions switched on the album for more balance. Way to be picky, Mr. Reviewer!

In conclusion

Diffusion completes the previous albums really well. To me, the style is pretty much halfway between Time and Contact. It closes the tiny style gab between both albums and balances the whole thing even more. This album sure makes me promise to be a long-time fan of 7 For 4. It’s got some really good songs nobody should miss on if they like 7 for 4’s style.

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