Apocalyptica was a cool concept to begin with: four classical cellists playing arrangements of Metallica songs. But that was their first EP, and that was a long time ago. Now they play instrumental hard rock and bring in guest vocalists. "End of Me" features former Bush vocalist Gavin Rossdale. Brent Smith of Shinedown shows up for "Not Strong Enough." When the cellos are fed through pedals, the sound can be quite impressive, like a guitar but five times more room-filling and powerful. And the members of Apocalyptica do use many different effects on their instruments, occasionally creating sounds not unlike those you might hear on a Sunn 0))) album. The best track on 7th Symphony is "2010," which features a guest performance by Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo, who drives the music ferociously, like a speeding train straight into hell. ~ Phil Freeman
Rovi