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I've been following Seven Spires since 2017's Solveig, their debut album. They've been tinkering with their symphonic metal sound since then, experimenting with a variety of harsh and clean vocals, different musical styles and motifs, and classic power/symphonic metal elements to try and come up with something uniquely Seven Spires. The entirety of their fourth album, A Fortress Called Home, sounds great, as you would expect from a band at this point in their career, with a lush, full production that gives all the instruments room to be heard. The songwriting is a bit hit-or-miss to my ears, the neoclassical noodling on "Songs upon Wine-stained Tongues" and bright, bell-like keyboards on "Almosttown" working well as opposed to the smoky, lounge vibe of "Love's Souvenir" (before the screaming starts) or the down-tuned, gothic rock "House of Lies." I don't dislike the latter tunes, but they break the flow of the album to the point where it almost sounds like two different records mixed together. I'm also not sold on the harsh vocals. I've learned to appreciate death growls and black rasps, but I think they are overused and occasionally out of place on A Fortress Called Home. I don't actively dislike what Seven Spires has done and will always give a band kudos for trying something different, but A Fortress Called Home is a bit of a jumble with some of it sounding great and some not so much. It is a classic "your mileage may vary" release, so if you are into symphonic metal, give it a listen.