The Spotlight: Pre- Bloodstock Interview with Seven Hells By Paul H

Seven Hells Interview

Seven Hells are a Leicester band formed in late 2016. They recently won the Leicester Metal To The Masses Final, no mean feat and are lined up to play the Hobgoblin New Blood Stage at Bloodstock Festival. The band were kind enough to answer some questions for the Musipedia and we started by checking out the current line-up. “We formed in 2016, then had a few member changes with Marc joining us in 2017 and Ollie joining in 2018. The current line-up is made up of Marc Cross – vocals, Dan Nelson – guitar, Simon Crofts – guitar, Oliver Wellings – bass and drummer Kris Elliott.

If you’ve checked out the band, you’ll find their single Resist. Resist is full of huge riffs. It’s a fine listen and certainly whets the appetite for the forthcoming EP. How does the band describe the Seven Hells sound? “Thank you! Huge riffs, melodic leads, crushing vocals and plenty of groove definitely sums up the sound of the band and is what people can expect to hear plenty of on the EP” With such a crunching sound, you kind of guessed at the bands main influences but they confirmed that their main influences are “Lamb Of God, Metallica, Pantera, Parkway Drive, Machine Head and many many more! Individually we have such a wide range of influences and a combination of all these is what creates the sound of Seven Hells”.

So, what about something that isn’t bone snapping? I wanted to know what was the Seven Hells guilty pleasure? This obviously opened a can of worms as the band stated “Where to begin…. N Sync, One Direction, the Biebs…..if a song is catchy there's a chance we will like it! (But don't tell anyone at Bloodstock, we don't want to ruin our reputation)”. Sorry lads, your cover is now blown! Back to the serious stuff and MTTM. With the band only forming in 2016, and like every other band working their asses off what was the road to the final story? “Our debut gig was actually at Metal To The Masses 2017 where we reached the semi-finals; after coming so close we were determined to go all the way in 2018. The addition of Marc and Ollie really strengthened the band and with a lot of hard work we made it to the final where we had the honour of playing main stage De Montfort Hall. We loved the big stage experience which we won't be forgetting any time soon”.

With the scene in the Midlands and Leicester particularly strong, did the band feel confident they could get to the final? “As always there is such a high quality of bands in metal to the masses, our focus was just to be the best we could be and hope it was enough to make the final. That's the great thing about metal to the masses, it isn't about putting other bands down it's about supporting each other and strengthening the metal community”. And that is the sentiment that comes across time and time again. This is about supporting metal in general, and whilst the prize is massive, every band is in it because they want to give something back.

So, what about the build-up to the final; how did Seven Hells manage to balance gaining support and avoiding saturating everyone? “During the build-up we tried to avoid playing Leicester and instead focused on other shows around the country. This meant we could continue to improve as a band and keep people at home eager to see us and support us in the final!” That winning moment, when the winners are announced is something special. How did it feel when it finally was announced? “Well there was a long wait for the announcement…. we played around 5pm and didn't find out until 11pm! By this time, we had all had quite a few drinks which made hearing our names announced as winners that little bit more emotional (there was even a few tears). There was a massive sense of achievement and we felt honoured to be able to go on and represent Leicester at Bloodstock”.

Seven Hells have a Friday slot on the New Blood Stage, sharing the stage with our Welsh brothers in Democratus. I’d say that Friday is a score but are the band happy with that? “For sure, we are so excited to be playing so the sooner the better! It also means we can then relax, enjoy the rest of the festival and check out all the great bands”. So, who are Seven Hells looking forward to seeing at BOA this year? Like many, it’s a long list. “Judas Priest, Gojira, At The Gates, Bleed from Within, Devildriver…. the list goes on. Yet again another killer line up from Bloodstock \m/”.

So, what can we expect from the band? Why should those who are undecided come and watch? “We’re a band that loves to put on a show and really get the crowd involved. We've been steadily making a name for ourselves as a band you need to see live and can guarantee a high energy show full of great songs!”

For anyone who has yet to experience Bloodstock, here is Seven Hells reasons for going: “Bloodstock has such a great vibe, the community is so welcoming, and you really do feel like one giant family! They deliver every year with the line-up and everything is so well organised, it's easily our favourite festival and not one to be missed”.

Away from Bloodstock, what are the highlights for Seven Hells so far? It’s clear that one event stands out. “Playing the iconic De Montfort Hall and winning metal to the masses has been our goal since we formed and achieving that so soon is a real highlight and an unforgettable experience”. The band has several UK gigs lined-up in the next few months including a fabulous looking MTTM showcase in Leicester the weekend before Bloodstock.