Seventh Key-Seventh Key (2001)

In early 2000, bassist Billy Greer, formerly of Kansas' second incarnation, and guitarist Mike Slamer, formerly of the band led by Steve Walsh Street, founded Seventh Key, a group that navigated between melodic rock and hard rock. At the start of 2001, they released their debut album, which, in addition to keyboardists David Manion and Igor Len and drummer Chet Wynd, also featured some members of Kansas, including Phil Ehart, Steve Walsh, Steve Morse, and Rich Williams. On this first album, the hard rock guitar riffs of Slamer, Morse, and Williams, along with Manion's keyboard flourishes and the irresistible vocal harmonies courtesy of Greer and singers Terry Brock and Steve Walsh, are the common thread running through most of the tracks. From attractive mid-tempo tracks like "Only The Brave", "Missy", "Surrender" or "When Love Is Dying", to catchy AOR tracks like "Everytime It Rains" and "Forsaken", passing through the energetic "The Kid Could Play" or "Prisoner of Love", they all together make up an excellent work highly regarded by fans of adult-oriented rock, which would have a brilliant continuation several years later with "The Raging Fire".