7th Element is one of the very few acappella vocal ensembles making their way onto the recording circuit today. Check their album review, listen to audio snips off their album (see bottom of this page) and read more about them in their official bio, reproduced below.


Album Information Courtesy of AAMG:

As the old saying goes, perhaps some things are just meant to be. Only a few short years ago, the six members of 7th Element were scattered along the East Coast, pursuing different dreams and goals, thousands of miles from one another. Now, through a set of fortuitous events that group members can only credit to a higher authority, they are united and releasing their first project together, harmonious in a mutual desire to worship God through their remarkable musical abilities.

In a way, 7th Element has actually been in the making for decades. "Four of the guys in the group, Garth, Kevin, Darren and Curt Greene, are brothers," explains 1st tenor Marc Dwyer. "They've been singing together for years, even had an a cappella album out when they were kids. David "Dee" Glover, on the other hand, and I sang together in another group in New York for seven years, and my relationship with the Greenes goes back even further than that: our fathers used to sing together way back in the day during the 1950's! So, we feel like the Lord has been helping us pull this together for a very long time."

The result is a shiningly original debut, consisting of scintillating vocal harmonies that blend with smooth R&B, as well as pop ballads, Negro spirituals, traditional hymns, smooth jazz, and even a funky Gospel track. The project, entitled simply, Volume One, is already drawing comparisons to multi-GRAMMY winning and platinum-selling artist, Take 6, and garnering high praise for expanding Take 6's legacy by venturing into new and cutting-edge forms.

David remarks on the phenomenon, explaining, "We always take it as a profound compliment whenever we're compared to Take 6 because they are incredibly talented and have accomplished so much. They are our friends, and we are all working to finish God's work. Musically, however, we have a different sound." Although 7th Element's smooth a cappella style has been compared to that of Take 6, they see themselves taking their rich trademark harmonies into multiple genres, creating universal appeal. Marc adds, "We're extremely excited for fans to hear a wide gambit of music on this project."

All of the members of 7th Element take part in the songwriting process, merging their ideas and backgrounds together. Songs like "Everything That's Beautiful" showcase the diverse textures of all six vocalists. Crafted with exquisite a cappella harmonies, the song manages to seamlessly integrate a variety of genres to appeal to music lovers of all kinds. In addition, group members say the lyrics capture the core of their message and their desire to worship and honor Christ. Another standout track, "I'll Be Your Friend," showcases the group's ability to weave original music with other genres, all with their trademark flawless harmony.

When it came time to choose a name for their new group, the members of 7th Element wanted the glory going to Christ rather than to themselves as individuals. Marc comments, "We figured that each of us came together to be an important element in the harmony, but the most important one was the Lord. So, each of us took a number, Element one through Element six, and we gave Christ his holy number, Element Seven. Thus, the group is named after the 7th Element."

Group members felt especially compelled to honor Christ through their name and their music because they say none of this would have ever happened without some amazing and timely divine intervention. David explains, "Before 7th Element, Marc and I signed two separate mainstream deals, one with Capitol and the other with Epic/Sony. Each time, we got really excited, but the same thing kept happening. We wanted to do quality music that praised God, but the labels had a more secular vision for us. We didn't want to make music if it compromised who we were and what we believed in, so we knew we had to walk away from those deals."

Marc continues the story, explaining, "Our manager, Leslie Burns, hired a lawyer who got us out of our deal with Capitol. We didn't know it at the time, but the same lawyer was also working for Allen & Allen, who would eventually sign us to their label. Much later, I ran into Darren Greene while living in Orlando, and he shared with me his dream of creating a premier vocal group. He talked to his brothers, and I recruited David. Suddenly we had a new group, but we didn't know yet where the Lord was taking us."

David laughs when he remembers what happened next. "One day, out of the blue, I started thinking about Leslie, our old manager from our New York days. Although it had been several years since I had spoken with her, I decided to call her old number, thinking she was in New York. The strange thing was when I told Marc I had tried to contact Leslie, he said he had been thinking about her, too. It seemed odd that she had come to our minds together. We couldn't believe it when it turned out Leslie was actually visiting her sister in Orlando, just a few miles from us. At that point, we knew the Lord was working."

"Once we talked to Leslie, she told us that Allen Wiggins of Allen & Allen was also in Orlando and that Bruce Allen was only a short distance away in Jacksonville," adds Marc. "She set up a meeting for us, and the rest is history. So, through the manager and the lawyer who helped us out of mainstream deals that didn't praise Him, the Lord finally provided us with a label that shared both our beliefs and our musical vision. It's truly amazing how it all came together."

With the release of Volume One through Allen & Allen Music Group, 7th Element is now gearing up to continue its non-stop touring. 7th Element's diverse sound, its uncompromising message, and the astounding talent of each individual member has already fueled an incredible demand for appearances, with requests already pouring in from cities nationwide, as well as from three countries in Europe.

In addition to their musical pursuits, group members have also set up the E7 Youth Development Group, in order to help young people get an education and pursue their dreams in music. Every copy of Volume One sold will help fund the non-profit organization, which will provide several deserving children each year with the money for a Christian education. In addition, the E7 Youth Development Group has a mentorship program to help aspiring artists. Group members will sponsor young musicians, flying the students to Orlando, taking them to Disney World, giving them a behind-the-scenes glimpse of performances, and buying them music equipment of their own to help advance their careers.

Through their long history, the divine grace that brought them together, and their desire to help others through their musical success, the members of 7th Element have created a strong new future for themselves, a success story that no doubt will have many volumes. As David sums up, "We just want others to understand that you don't have to compromise your faith in God to be successful. We are not just singers but professionals and family men. We want to be an example through our lives, showing others that there is value in doing things the right way, God's way. Our youth need to see that. Through our music and the E7 Youth Development Group, that's the message we hope to portray."



Three songs snips from the debut album of 7th Element, are available as RealAudio downloads. If you don't have RealAudio, be sure to obtain your free RealAudio player software first, by clicking on the blue RealAudio icon on the right.

To download the song snips, simply click on the highlighted text below, let stream on RealAudio, and enjoy.

• "Ride The Chariot"
  
  
• "You Dont Know Like I Know"
  
  
• "Everything That's Beautiful"