With an impressive concept that combines the most significant components of US power and thrash metal and songs that focus on lyrics about spooks and horror, Them are one of the most unusual new metal acts. Their debut album Sweet Hollow (2016) already more than hinted at the artistic potential of the six-piece. Their successor release Manor Of The Se7en Gables sees the group surrounding frontman KK Fossor present an album that takes up thematically where its predecessor left off but goes on to explore the stylistic extremes of this musical genre even further. “Manor Of The Se7en Gables sounds harder, darker and technically more sophisticated than Sweet Hollow,” main songwriter Markus Ullrich sketches the benchmark data of the latest release, adding: “At the same time, fans may be taken by surprise by a number of changes because we have unmistakably continued to evolve as a band during the past two years.” The German guitarist, who was among the founder members of prog metal band Lanfear before joining Them in autumn 2013 and continues to be a member of speed/thrash metal act Septagon and instrumental project A Cosmic Trail, values this evolvement: “I like it when songs also live up to certain technical standards. Luckily, we can easily fulfil those technical standards thanks to this outstanding line-up.”