Time Signature It's not a crime...

Genre: hard rock / NWoBHM

Released in 1979, this three track single from brummie band Jameson Raid is one of the many single and demo releases of the largely underground NWoBHM movement. While in no way a poppish release, "Seven Days of Splendour" is in the less heavy department of the movement.

The opening track, "Seven Days of Splendour" is an uplifting hard rocker, whose melodic main riff is one of the most catchy riffs ever. I also like the Phil Lynott-esque quality to the vocal lines (the singer's voice does not sound like Lynott at all though).

"It's a Crime" is a darker and groovier track, evolving around riffage that remind me of both Led Zep and early Sabbath. Like the title track, it is pretty straightforward and headbanging-inspiring.

"Catcher in the Rye" is another bright-sounding hard rocker, but less simplistic than the title track, and contains a good handful of different riffs - it also has a more complex and progressive structure (the singer even sounds a bit like Peter Gabriel), without being technical or anything like that.

A fine hard rock / metal release of the late 1970s, "Seven Days of Splendour" should appeal to most fans of traditional metal and hard rock. The single is probably very hard to get a hold on, and probably very expensive in its original vinyl form, but fortunately, they are available on the 2010 compilation, and through Youtube as well.