Star Spangled Power Metal Comes To The EU and UK: An Interview with Seven Kingdoms

By Justin Smulison

An American brand of power metal is on the way to Europe! Seven Kingdoms is a quartet based in Florida, who has been one of the most consistent American bands in the subgenre kind for nearly 20 years.

The band is uniquely comprised of brothers Kevin Byrd (Guitars) and Keith Byrd (Drums) and spouses Sabrina Cruz (Vocals) and Camden Cruz (Guitars). They use power metal as their musical template but expand upon it with elements of thrash, doom and rock. But as you will hear in this interview with Camden Cruz, they consciously avoid symphonic to maintain their identity among other female-fronted bands.

To commemorate their signing with Reigning Phoenix Music, the band released their newest EP, The Square, in November 2024. The Square contains four original tracks plus a cover of Mr. Mister’s 1980s classic, “Kyrie,” and the EP marks their ninth official release since their 2007 debut.

In this interview, Camden Cruz joins me to discuss the recently wrapped North American tour with Striker, who will join them in February 2025, in support of Unleash the Archers in Europe.

Horns up!

Song clips: “The Square,” “Wilted Pieces”

SEVEN KINGDOMS:
www.SevenKingdomsofficial.com

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/seven-kingdoms/269540019
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SevenKingdomsOfficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sevenkingdomsofficial/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0PMYvG0U25tgSi8jQExPAC?si=Zd59_nhbQeKrYGN4dUI7Cg
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sevenkingdomsofficial
Twitter/X: https://x.com/7kskofficial
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sevenkingdoms

European Tour supporting UNLEASH THE ARCHERS:

12.02 – Substage – Karlsruhe, DE
13.02 – Colos-Saal – Aschaffenburg, DE
14.02 – Live Music Hall – Cologne, DE
15.02 – De Kreun – Kortrijk, BE
16.02 – The Underworld – London, GB
17.02 – La Machine – Paris, FR
19.02 – Dynamo – Zurich, CH
20.02 – Legend Club – Milan, IT
21.02 – Backstage – Munich, DE
22.02 – Masters Of Rock Cafe – Zlin, CZ
23.02 – Barba Negra – Budapest, HU
25.02 – Szene – Vienna, AT
26.02 – Kwadrat – Cracow, PL
27.02 – Hellraiser – Leipzig, DE
28.02 – Rockhal – Esch-Sur-Alzette, LU
01.03 – Kronensaal – Hamburg, DE
02.03 – Patronaat – Haarlem, NL