Sevendust - Next Review
Posted by Brandon Ratliff on 10.18.2005
Hey, it’s better than the band starting to sound like the White Stripes eh?
Sevendust - Next
Release Date: October 11, 2005
Label: Winedark Records
Produced By: Sevendust
Website: Sevendust.info
First Single: Ugly
Recommended Downloads: Ugly, Pieces, Never
Sevendust is:
Vocals: LaJon Witherspoon
Guitar: John Connolly
Guitar: Sonny Mayo
Bass: Vince Hornsby
Drums/Vocals: Morgan Rose
Sevendust have long been one of those bands that have just barely been out of reach of the limelight in the world of hard rock. Ever since the 1997 release of their self-titled debut, they’ve enjoyed decent amounts of commercial success and much critical praise, but they’ve never quite gotten to be a household name outside of the heavy rock world. Even so, they’ve put out five albums, which is something few bands get to, especially bands that a lot of people slap the practically derogatory nu-metal label on. This label doesn’t fit Sevendust very well, but what one does? None. Sevendust are Sevendust, and that’s all there is to it. They never tried to sound like anyone else, even when some corporate assbags at TVT Records told them straight out to try to sound like the Stroke and White Stripes. You may ask yourself, could they possibly be serious? Oh yes, they were very serious. That’s the biggest plague in the music industry anymore, especially for rock bands. The major labels or more concerned with selling more albums than the artist themselves. As long as they make their money, that’s all they care about. Such a thing is what likely produced the infamous Seasons album that, instead of becoming more popular, alienated quite a few fans. The album was good, but it was very…toned down. I’m even amazed the first single was Enemy, being as how that was about the second heaviest track on the album (behind the closer Face To Face). But after basically telling TVT to go fuck themselves, the band would up without a label. Quitting, even despite the departure of guitarist Clint Lowery to Dark New Day, was not an option for the band.
Next was an album born of the pure fury the band understandably has for the music industry, and appropriated, was self-produced and financed. After Lowery’s departure, the band brought in former Snot guitarist Sonny Mayo to fill the gap. Mayo has an amazing chemistry with the band as well. You’d not even notice a huge difference were you to not have been informed of his addition. Of course, you’d be hard pressed to find a reason for the fact that Dark New Day has a song or two (most notably Brother) that sounds a lot like Sevendust, but that is beside the point. With all due respect to Lowery, Mayo does a lot more for the band on one record than Lowery did on four. The band now sees a few guitar solos thrown in to the record along with some more complex counter harmonies as well. Oh, and the band is, for the most part, quite heavy again.
Hero: The new album opens with the track that is very reminiscent of the music from the band’s critically acclaimed Home album. The chorus shows a bit of melody in it, but otherwise this song is all out heavy. “Show me, the only, thing that’ll make you stop controlling…” is what Witherspoon belts out during the track’s refrain. I wonder who that’s talking about…?
Ugly: This is the album’s first single, and a shining example of how this album seems to be a big amalgamation of all of their previous works. The verse is right out of the self-titled album, maybe Home, the chorus is like something from Seasons, and a bridge right from Animosity. But here’s the key…whereas most bands would start sounding boring and uninspired after so much, Sevendust manage to pull it off, and create a track that will very likely garner a good amount of radio play.
Pieces: This track is probably one of, if not the heaviest track the band has ever done. More so musically than vocally, but either way, despite the soaring chorus vocals, the song starts and doesn’t let up until the bridge, which features an odd sounding guitar harmony leading into the solo. Even despite this, I can imagine seeing this song as a single. A lot of the heavier music fans would eat it up like a sweet concoction of heavy rock candy, but it still has something about it that would appeal to mainstream fans, even if it is only because they want something a bit heavier that they can say they dig to get some sort of twisted musical credibility.
Silence: After beginning with a silly scream in the background, this one kicks into a track that could’ve been taken right off of Animosity, maybe with the exception of the heavy verse music. Yet again, while staying fairly hard (no David Draiman jokes people, you’d be beating a very dead and ground up horse), it still could work as a radio single. The bridge slows it down a bit, which an excellent vocal and guitar counter harmony, only to lead right back into the meaty verse riffing. So far, the album is right on track.
This Life: After four heavy songs, the band decides to tone it down a notch for this one. I can guarantee past fans will instantly think of Follow from Animosity once this one starts playing. Granted, there’s no Aaron Lewis here, but it has that same mellow track waiting for the harder part to kick in feel to it. The said harder part does eventually kick in, but just as with Follow, the track still stays extremely melodic. Witherspoon makes a very good vocal showing here, dropping pitches and switching styles on a dime like it’s nothing.
Failure: And…right back to the heavy stuff. I hate to keep using such comparisons, but this track seems as if it were lifted right from the Animosity sessions. Somehow, even with all of the tracks sounding like older stuff, the album has somehow still stayed spot on and has yet to begin to sound dry or repetitive.
See And Believe: Beginning with a sinister sounding synth part, this is one of the softer cuts on the album. It’s not really a soft track per se, but rather a track basically for the band to show off their musical range, and how well they do it all. You have to listen closely, but Mayo’s guitar part in this (especially in the chorus) is beautifully done. As I said you have to listen closely as it’s rather difficult to hear, but you’d definitely notice if it weren’t there. That’s about all I can say.
The Last Song: Ironic that this isn’t the last track on the album eh? Meh, fuck the cliches! This is an interesting song simply because it definitely doesn’t sound like anything else they’ve ever done. The verse part features Witherspoon and Rose trading vocals over a guitar part with some sort of weird effect on it, and the chorus (well, at least I think it’s the chorus) has them doing the same except with yet another odd guitar riff. I think this one song is the one that would definitely give Mayo’s presence in the band away. The bridge has a spoken word track on it that leads into a heavy riff under the guitar solo. Overall, an odd song at first listen, a great one there on out.
Desertion: As you might think based on the title, this is a very fast and upbeat song. Even the melodic chorus keeps the music grinding along behind it. Yet again Mayo and Connolly use strange effects to play off of each other well. It’s amazing the chemistry these guys have on their first album together, one that was self produced no less. They slow it down and throw on more studio effects for the bridge, and the solo is very tasteful, and compliments the song wonderfully. This one is a really feel good song with some wonderful musicianship from all four musicians.
Never: I think this track would’ve worked better as the closer, putting the acoustic Shadows In Red before it, but it definitely finds a good home near the end. I’m trying to think of the best way to break this one down, but I can’t seem to find the words to do it. It is just a really good and powerful song. Every single band member is spot on from the odd opening to the vibrato fade out. The song is fast paced, yet melodic. Catchy, yet abrasive. Calm, yet angry. Get the idea yet? This is just a good song. Most of the music is something you’ll wonder how they pulled off with just guitars, bass, and drums, but yet they did it. Mayo’s guitar licks in the verse almost have an Egyptian feel to them. As far as writing and arrangement goes, this is the best track on the album easily. It sounds like something they spent a lot of time with several producers to perfect, yet they did it all by themselves. This is the epitome of Sevendust.
Shadows In Red: This acoustic track is about the closest you are ever going to get to a ballad with Sevendust. The title would likely make you think it would be a heavier track, but it’s quite the contrary. Not that there’s anything wrong with it, as this, while it would have been better having been swapped in position with Never, was a good way to close the album. While some people would likely say they should have had a distorted guitar come in at some point, I think with the extra stuff that is here (something that sounds like a violin, and something else), it’s better having stayed entirely mellow as it is.
Seeing as how I was in a slightly pissy mood when I was writing this review, I went back, combing every single song searching for negative points. Much to my surprise (or dismay, depending on how you want to look at it), even being in as critical of a mood as I was, I found none. I swear to you people who read this, I really could not find a single bad thing about the album. Vince’s bass seemed toned down a slight bit from previous albums, but that’s not really a good or bad thing. I think the lack of a producer and the addition of Sonny Mayo made the band stronger than ever, and even despite the fact that this is Sevendust’s fifth album, not only is the band still completely relevant, but they also have just put out one of the best hard rock albums of the year. They are known for their great lives shows, and this is a collection of songs that will only strengthen their set lists when they go on tour again. No matter how you look at it, even as the aforementioned amalgamation of their four previous albums, this is through and through a spotless album. This is a band to take an example from. This is a band that knows what it wanted, and did it. They left their last label with a middle finger up, and if this album sells anywhere near how well it should based on it’s strength, TVT will probably be kicking themselves for trying to be such corporate douche bags. This is Sevendust, and Sevendust kicks a whole lot of ass.
The 411: Five albums, a new label, a new guitarist, no producer. Sevendust had the odds stacked against them, and they still somehow managed to put out their best overall album. Sonny Mayo and John Connolly have a great chemistry together making for some of their best guitar riffing to date, Vince Hornsby and Morgan Rose are both in top form as usual, and LaJon Witherspoon still exhibits every bit of soul and fury he’s shown in the past, except to an even higher degree on both accounts. How the band managed to do an album this good considering the circumstances is beyond me, but it’s just proof of why they are one of the best hard rock bands in existence. I’m not one to pass off what sounds like my opinion as fact, but that is a fact. Buy this album. Love it. Thank me later.
