Rev Seven: Heavy Laden Volume I | Remembering The Old Days
(2025 – Retroactive Records)
Bill Menchen isn’t a very well-known figure in these parts, but he certainly is in the so-called White Metal scene, especially in the United States. He’s been quite active with various bands and projects, notably Final Axe (which we’ve already mentioned in a previous review), Redeemer, The Seventh Power, and the subject of this article: Rev Seven, a band that based its sound on a blend of melodic traditional Heavy Metal, intertwined with Hard Rock featuring smooth lines and harmonies, and Doom Metal, with a strong emphasis on fierce, driving riffs and that indelible ’80s vibe.
That Rev Seven lineup included Bill Menchen on vocals, Bruce Menchen on guitar, Ray Kilsdonk on bass, and Tim Palmatier on drums. With this lineup, Rev Seven hit the scene and, from 1991 to 1999, released no fewer than four albums—all of which are quite hard to come by these days.
Perhaps with that in mind, Menchen decided to re-release those songs and set out in 2007 to create a sort of two-part compilation to make Rev Seven’s material available again, but he didn’t do it the traditional way; instead, he took it upon himself to re-record all the material himself, playing all the instruments; the result is “Heavy Laden” Volumes I and II, which are being reissued in 2025 by Retroactive Records.
In this case, we have the first of the two-part compilation, namely “Heavy Laden Vol. 1,” which comprises the entirety of what were originally the 1991 album “The Unveiling” and the 1994 album “Hell And Back.” Indeed, with twenty tracks, this first part covers the songs from both albums—not in the chronological order in which they were originally arranged, but rather interwoven with one another.
What we have here is an album that blends tracks from both albums, in a style that fuses elements of traditional Metal, Doom, and melodic Hard Rock—all marked by heavy guitars and Bill Menchen’s distinctive vocals.
“Kingdom Come” kicks things off, just as it did on their 1991 debut album. It features a solid, forceful foundation with an undeniable Sabbath-esque vibe, while “Power And Authorities” stands out as the most traditional Heavy Metal track, more in the style of Judas Priest—except for Menchen’s vocal tone, which is much deeper than Halford’s.
But if we’re talking about Doom Metal, we can’t skip “Sabbath Breaker,” which is dangerously similar to Black Sabbath’s “N.I.B.”—even in the riff and rhythm— but setting that “slip-up” aside, we come to “Chains,” a pleasant, melodic Hard Rock track that’s actually quite harmonious after all, and in the same vein, we can note “Dead Right Now”—perhaps where the similarity between Menchen’s vocal tone and Ozzy’s is most noticeable, though let’s be clear: he definitely doesn’t seem to be imitating him. Besides, let’s agree that Osbourne’s voice is unique and, so to speak, difficult to reach his vocal ranges.
“Father Of Lights” returns to speed and traditional Heavy Metal, with a punch worthy of ’80s classic Metal, plus it’s short and to the point, like many of Rev Seven’s songs, which don’t go on too long; and we can see the same thing in “Fire,” with plenty of interesting riffs, and then there’s also “Gotta Get Back,” which leans more toward rock but maintains that heavy, dense foundation.
The mood shifts with “His Holiness,” which takes a more mid-tempo, melodic approach but in a much more doom-oriented tone, while “Cast Down” oscillates between classic Hard Rock and ’80s Metal with dissonant passages that stand out from what we’ve been hearing.
“Kiss The Son” kicks off with dense guitars, staying true to that doom metal style but making melodies and harmonies its strong suit, and with “No Return,” the album shifts back toward a harder rock sound, just like “Babylon,” a track with a fiery and intense rhythm.
We find something different in “Over And Out,” at least from those intricate opening riffs that form the foundation of the song, driven by heavy guitars; meanwhile, “Save Me” offers a more eclectic vibe, where the melodies give it a distinct feel compared to Rev Seven’s usual sound.
“Seven Thunders” is much more focused on traditional Heavy Metal, with a nod to Iron Maiden-style riffs, while “The Hand Of God” takes us down the same path but at a more moderate pace, and “Time Runs Out” returns to a more melodic and harmonic side of Hard Rock, while still maintaining those heavy riffs that are one of Rev Seven’s defining characteristics.
There isn’t much to say about “Tonite” other than that it stays true to the established style, but the album’s final track, the classic “White Horse Man,” is a sort of summary of what Rev Seven is all about, setting the pace riff by riff and bringing back what it meant to sound loud and strong, with heavy guitars leading the way.
That’s what Rev Seven is all about. Sounding heavy and dense, maintaining a style that balances traditional ’80s Metal, Doom Metal, and some elements of Hard Rock, with plenty of melody and harmony. Beyond a certain tendency toward a Black Sabbath/Ozzy Osbourne-style sound, the point is that Rev Seven goes further and combines different elements. The result is enjoyable, though not particularly surprising. There’s a consistent style from which the sound and the songs don’t stray too far, although, of course, it’s important to remember that “Heavy Laden” is nothing more than a compilation of the band’s first two albums.
The sound seems fairly modest, though consistent with the spirit of Rev Seven’s songs and even with the era in which they were first recorded. Bill Menchen handled a complete re-recording here to provide a better listening experience for the band’s material, though this in no way involved special arrangements or alterations to the compositions. The result is consistent across all the songs, which, let’s remember, come from different albums and eras of the band. It’s also worth noting that this new reissue features a remastered version of the 2007 edition.
In that sense, Rev Seven’s songs—while not grandiose—are short, direct, and simple, yet they share a compositional thread that somehow unifies their sound and style.
The artwork, while not particularly noteworthy either, at least serves its purpose. The cover is a simple photograph set against a stormy twilight backdrop—nothing too original. The booklet includes the lyrics to all 20 songs and even a vintage photograph. The quality is excellent, as is everything in Retroactive Records’ “Metal Icon Series.”
Rev Seven is by no means a band that made history. It’s true, they left their mark in the ’90s, though they surely went unnoticed due to the musical shifts of the era, which left them stuck in a sound and style that perhaps already felt outdated by that point. This is a good opportunity to check out Rev Seven’s material—a project that perhaps deserves more attention than it received at the time.
One of Rev Seven’s must-hear classics is “Kingdom Come,” a version of which from this album we’ve included below. Of course, we’ve also included the project’s social media links and information on how to get this album—which, by the way, is a limited edition…
