Sevendust - Chapter VII: Hope & Sorrow Review
Posted by Mitch Michaels on 04.02.2008
Sevendust returns with Daughtry and Alter Bridge in tow, but will this album rock as hard as fans have come to expect?
My Story
It seems that, in the modern music scene, heavy alt-rock bands are a dime a dozen. They appear out of nowhere, with tough riffs and great sing-along choruses, and then fade just as quickly as a new band rises. This climate makes the success of Sevendust pretty surprising, as they’ve managed to stay on the scene and relatively successful for over a decade now. In that time, they’ve also been consistent in putting out new records, with studio albums hitting shelves every two years like clockwork. That makes Chapter VII sort of surprising, as the band’s last album, Alpha, is only a year old. Will this speedy recording schedule make for something new from Sevendust? And, more importantly, will their fans like it?
Their Story
Sevendust formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 1994, originally under the name Crawlspace. After several months together, Crawlspace made their mainstream debut with the track “My Ruin”, which appeared on the Mortal Kombat: More Kombat soundtrack. The next year, a west coast band claimed the rights to the “Crawlspace” moniker, forcing the guys to change their name. From then on, Lajon Witherspoon, John Connolly, Clint Lowery, Vinnie Hornsby and Morgan Rose were Sevendust.
The band signed to TVT Records, where they released their self-titled debut in 1997. Sevendust was hailed as a heavy and fresh answer to the failing alt rock of the late 90’s. The album managed to chart three minor Top 40 Mainstream Rock singles in “Black”, “Bitch” and “Too Close To Hate”. A spot on the 1998 OzzFest followed.
By 1999, Sevendust had been certified gold. The band followed-up that year with the more polished Home, which featured collaborations with members of the Deftones and was lead-off by a coveted performance at Woodstock 99. Home only took nine months to go gold, thanks to the Rock hits “Waffle” and “Denial”. The album also reached #19 on the Billboard charts. Tours with everyone from Creed to Metallica followed.
Sevendust returned in 2001 with the pissed-off Animosity, which found the band taking a progressive approach, combining their signature heavy style with more melodic elements. The set would give Sevendust their highest charting Modern Rock hit in “Angel’s Son”, which reached #15. Animosity reached a gold certification quicker than any of Sevendust’s albums before or since.
Due to personal problems within the band, Sevendust remained inactive for much of 2002, but came roaring back with 2003’s Seasons. The lead single, “Enemy”, became the band’s first Top 10 Mainstream Rock hit, and the album reached a career-high #14 on the Billboard 200. A live CD/DVD, Southside Double-Wide, followed. It would be the band’s last with guitarist Clint Lowery, who left to join the band Dark New Day. Lowery was replaced by former Snot guitarist Sonny Mayo.
2004 proved to be a year of change for Sevendust, as not only did it see Lowery’s exit, but also the end of the band’s association with TVT. Sevendust jumped to UMG’s Winedark label, where they released their fifth album, Next, in 2005. Next was a Top 20 album (#1 Independent), but failed to reach the wide audience Sevendust had hoped for. Fans who heard the album felt it was a return to form for the band, as the addition of May seemed to refocus Sevendust on their heavy guitar sound. TVT closed out 2005 with their own Sevendust release, the Best Of compilation.
2007 marked the release of Alpha, the band’s first for their own 7Bros. Records, an imprint of Asylum. The album was promoted much better and debuted at #14 on the Billboard charts, Sevendust’s best charting to date. The record scored the band another Top 10 Mainstream Rock hit in “Driven” and marked a highly successful headlining tour.
Immediately after the Alpha tour, Sevendust returned to write and record new material for their seventh album. The record was completed and set for a March ’08 release, though it was eventually pushed back to April. The set was set to be promoted by a spot on the Rockstar Mayhem tour, but Sevendust was forced to pull out due to a scheduling conflict. In March, the band played select shows in Australia, and are scheduled to play Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio this May. For more info, check out the band’s MySpace.
In late March, Sevendust announced that founding guitarist Clint Lowery would be returning to the band, replacing Sonny Mayo.
The Album
On April 1, 2008, 7Bros. and Asylum Records released Chapter VII: Hope & Sorrow, the seventh album by Sevendust and the follow-up to 2007’s Alpha. With the recent return of Clint Lowery, this is Sevendust’s final album with ex-guitarist Sonny Mayo. Chapter VII features appearances by Chris Daughtry and members of Alter Bridge. Retail exclusive CD tracks include “Lucky One” (Best Buy), “Heart In Your Hands” (Best Buy) and “Disgust” (iTunes).
The Band: 7.5
Lajon Witherspoon: vocals
John Connolly: guitar
Vinnie Hornsby: bass
Morgan Rose: drums
Sonny Mayo: guitar
It’s been a while since we’ve seen Sevendust take steps toward mass radio appeal. Seasons (perhaps coincidentally the band’s last with guitarist Clint Lowery) found the five-piece favoring ballads a bit more than riffs, but their past several years have been more focused on heavy rock and “getting back to basics”. Chapter VII, however, will jar you from the offset. The electronic components are in full-effect on the album opener, and continue to pop up here and there throughout the disc’s front half. I actually had to stop and see if Trent Reznor had a credit anymore. Of course, a little change (even incorporating elements of a dead genre in industrial) is healthy, and it admittedly makes for a rocking lead cut. Sevendust really make it work.
If you’re questioning Sevendust’s intent to get back on the radio, look no further than the guest spot by “American Idol” cast-off, who claims to be a big Sevendust fan. While Daughtry does have some great pipes, the baggage that he brings with him (the suckage of A.I. and its absolute incompatibility with the metal genre) makes his appearance here a HUGE risk for the band. So much so that it makes other guest spots by Alter Bridge singer Miles Kennedy seem pretty much right, even when Sevendust rocks Alter Bridge about six ways from Sunday.
Despite the stunt casting, Sevendust carries the bulk of the load on Chapter VII, delivering plenty of fan pleasing metal and riffs from Connolly and Mayo (as well as Alter Bridge’s Mark Tremonti, who may deliver the set’s best performance), Lajon Witherspoon’s throat splitting screaming and just the right amount of “please play us on the radio” flourishes. After eleven years, Sevendust has grown accustomed to making their fanbase happy, and Chapter VII should prove no different.
The Songs: 8.0
1. Inside
2. Enough
3. Hope (feat. Mark Tremonti of Alter Bridge)
4. Scapegoat
5. Fear
6. The Past (feat. Chris Daughtry)
7. Prodigal Son
8. Lifeless
9. Sorrow (feat. Miles Kennedy of Alter Bridge)
10. Contradiction
11. Walk Away
Chapter VII gets off to an interesting start with the electronica-tinged “Inside”, a track that doesn’t start rocking for about a minute. But when it kicks in, be ready, because it goes for the throat. The same can be said for Sevendust’s other electronic experiements here, like “Enough” and “Scapegoat”, which features a kick-ass downtuned boogie riff as well as some programming right out of Marilyn Manson’s heyday.
As good as these tracks are, none can compare to “Hope”, which features some amazing guitar by Mark Tremonti as well as a spine-chilling chorus of “I don’t know how to face the day!....Save me!” Let’s put it this way – “Hope” alone makes this album good enough to buy.
Luckily, Chapter VII is far from a one trick pony. The two guest vocalist tracks are great, and Daughtry fans will easily get into “The Past”. The slow ballad “Sorrow” is made for Rock radio, and the epic “Walk Away” will no doubt close many a future Sevendust concert. The band wisely fills out this album with plenty of their abrasive, high impact rock, sure to grab new and old fans alike.
The 411: Sevendust’s Chapter VII: Hope & Sorrow is full of great moments. While fans may question the band’s use of electronic elements or the appearance of Chris Daughtry, it’s all a means to an end, and that is more than just to get on the radio. Chapter VII finds Sevendust mixing it up and keeping themselves fresh, something few other alt-metal bands from the 90’s knew how to do. With great cuts like “Hope”, “Inside” and “Sorrow”, Chapter VII could just be the beginning for Sevendust.
