Could it be multiple Iron Maiden Eddies on stage at once? That’s what it looked like when tribute band Seventh Son hit the stage for their debut show November 17th. Except for the singer, the band wore specialized skull masks and creepy makeup in addition to various black Iron Maiden t-shirts. Imagine Bruce Dickinson jamming with skeletons. Conveniently for Seventh Son, the headlining band’s elaborate dungeon scenery was already set up, and worked perfectly as a backdrop. The effect was both eerie and eye-catching, and the crowd of Maiden fans loved it.
Seventh Son rocketed into “Powerslave’s” “Aces High” (1984) to start the set. Maiden fans everywhere know that not just anyone can kick out a dead-on version of that song - both musically and vocally with Dickinson’s extremely high “hi-igh!” Obviously these guys are no strangers to playing very fast and very precisely.
Although literally faceless with their Eddie masks, rumor has it members of death metal band Epicedium teamed up with members of speed metal band Forewarned for this Maiden tribute on the side. The drummer explained that the five of them decided to name the band Seventh Son because 1988’s “Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son” was their combined favorite Iron Maiden song.
Rarely-heard instrumental “Transylvania” off of Maiden’s self-titled 1980 debut album segued smoothly into 
another song that’s not often played live, “Seventh Son’s” “Moonchild.” “Piece of Mind’s” “The Trooper” (1983) was a standout.
But the best song was the last one: 1982’s “The Number Of The Beast’s” justifiably famous “Hallowed Be Thy Name.” The singer can sing this one like few people on the planet - and I mean sing. “Hallowed’s” varied tempos, multiple changes, and long instrumental sections provided plenty of opportunity to showcase the drummer’s incredibly accurate stickwork, the bassist’s heavy beat, and the two guitarists’ choreographed solos and harmonies.
Keep an eye out for more Seventh Son shows in December and January. For more information, check out http://MySpace.com/SeventhSonEddie, or call 661-400-8027 for more info. Rumor has it the costumes will get more elaborate... The bottom line? If you like metal, you’ll really like Seventh Son.
