The Great Escape is the fourth album by Swedish progressive metal band Seventh Wonder. It was recorded over the Spring and Summer of 2010, and was released on December 3, 2010. It is also the last album recorded with Johnny Sandin on drums, as he left the band for personal reasons after the recording and subsequent shows. "Alley Cat" is the first Seventh Wonder song to have an accompanying music video from the band.
The 30-minute title track The Great Escape is the first (and so far only) song by the band to be longer than 10 minutes. It is an epic song based on the poems 'Aniara' by Swedish Nobel laureate Harry Martinson. It deals with the tragedy of a spaceship which, originally bound for Mars with a cargo of surviving colonists from a ravaged and destroyed Earth, is ejected from the Solar System and becomes entangled in an existential struggle. The first track 'Wiseman' doubles loosely as a prequel to the events of 'The Great Escape'.
Track listing Lyrics by Blomqvist/Karevik. Music & arrangements by Seventh Wonder.
Personnel All information from the album booklet.(2010). "The Great Escape liner notes". In The Great Escape [CD booklet]. Lion Music.
Seventh Wonder Tommy Karevik – vocals, lyrics Andreas Söderin – keyboard Johan Liefvendahl – guitar Andreas Blomqvist – bass, lyrics Johnny Sandin – drums
Additional musicians Johan Larsson – additional vocals, recording, cover art, photography Arto Järvela – violin on "King of Whitewater" Jenny Karevik – female vocals
Production Erik Mårtensson – mixing, mastering
References