“There’s immense satisfaction in longer pieces” — Seventh Dimension’s Rikard Wallström on crafting a 25-minute epic track

Seventh Dimension, the progressive metal band from Sweden, are gearing up for the release of their new album, Of Hope & Ordeals, on June 21, 2024. Renowned for blending complex symphonic elements with the aggressive edges of progressive rock, the band continues to push musical boundaries. With the integration of new lead vocalist Markus Tälth and a fresh collaborative songwriting approach, the album marks an exciting chapter for the band. Set to be released by Corrupted Records, the album will be available on Digipak CD and Digital formats.

Bassist Rikard Wallström, instrumental in weaving the foundational tones of the album, shared his approach to aligning the bass with the album’s intricate textures. “I strive to make a good fundamental bass line to accompany the rest of the band. Providing a good root to my colleagues soloing and accompanying unisons or riffs throughout the album. There are highlights from the bass in several parts and it also carries parts throughout songs like ‘Mind Flayer’. My mind when applying the bass goes to bassists like Tony Levin, who has brought good balance – between a ton of tone to low mixed supportive bass.”

The album’s structure, featuring the 25-minute epic Black Sky: Final Frontier, illustrates the ambitious scope of Seventh Dimension’s musical journey. Wallström described the immersive experience of such compositions: “There’s immense satisfaction in longer pieces that I can’t get tired of. Transitions, dynamics and crescendos, expanding the song from a low buildup to letting the final note ring out into the ether. That has been a driving force and main inspiration for me when playing with Seventh Dimension. Pieces like ‘A Change of Seasons’ by Dream Theater with John Myung’s building bass lines, the rollercoaster of themes within songs such as ‘Celestial Elixir’ and ‘Crystallised’ by Tom McLean and Connor Green, Jonas Reingold’s creativity on ‘Numbers’ by the Flower Kings and more – are a few examples of what I look to when working towards such long projects. The challenges to such projects is making an approachable and memorable composition without making it boring or overwhelming when both playing or listening to the piece. While it provides a lot of virtuosity I wanted to keep a low key bass line when it was needed. That balance, which I find works well in many of my favourite songs, is what I want to apply myself.”

The recording process this time around introduced new technical aspects, particularly in the bass department. Wallström transitioned to a Yamaha TRBX505, reamping through Parallax for a distinctly punchy, distorted bass sound. “I opted out to record with my long-time 6-string from Woodo that has been present in all previous albums and recorded with a Yamaha TRBX505, then also decided to rely on reamping through ‘Parallax to provide a strong, punchy distorted bass sound. The goal was to get a more clean, clear sound that can stand out more in the mix and not drown too much in the final product.”

Unlike previous projects, Of Hope & Ordeals benefited from the band’s ability to collaborate in-person, enhancing the creative process. “It has allowed us to be more hands-on with creating the album and get more of the band members’ ideas into the mix. I did my recordings accompanied with the band and had the privilege to review and get feedback as we went on. My playing for the most part has been unchanged, but with a new stronger tone, I hope that my input is coming through stronger than before.”

Addressing the thematic depth of the album, Wallström emphasized the narrative role of his instrument. “There are many instances of the bass enhancing the storytelling and providing a theme or feeling in certain parts of songs. Luca (guitars) loves to throw in references and melodies on bass when writing pieces for Seventh Dimension. It often lets me create a mood or feeling going into the next story beat of our songs.”

Seventh Dimension’s Of Hope & Ordeals is available for pre-order.