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Sevendust
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Next
Winedark Records
Release: 10/11/2005
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Rated:
Review by:
Morley Seaver
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This is by far the best work Sevendust has ever done. It seems adversity brings out the best in this band. In the last several years the band has changed management, started their own record label, 7Bros, and said goodbye to a prime player while welcoming in a new one. To top it all off, lead singer Lajon Witherspoon's brother was killed.
Replacing departed guitarist Clint Lowery with ex-Snot guitarist Sonny Mayo, the band has never sounded better. The band also decided to produce the record this time out. The opening cut, "Hero," is a powerful song that has a great melody line. It comes charging out of the gate with determined riffage before Lajon starts wailing. The great chorus really powers this track. The next cut, "Ugly," follows in that same vein, except Lajon is more melodic than ever. This is an excellent cut.
"Pieces" is a bit more brutal than the other cuts with some gritty vocals and really nice, crunchy guitar. "Silence" is as impressive as "Hero" and "Ugly," combining both an aggressive bent with a lot of melody. "This Life" is one of the most gorgeous songs on the record with Lajon's really compelling voice leading the way. "Failure" is in the same vein as the first couple of cuts, heavy but tuneful. Among the best of all these tracks is the awesome "Shadows In Red," which ends off the record on a real high note, so to speak.
This is a 2-disc set with a DVD included in the package. It contains interview footage with them introducing Sonny Mayo into the band. They talk about forming the record company, changing guitarists and recording the new record. There are some real interesting parts as well with a lot of funny moments, as you can imagine. Also included is a photo gallery.
This is a real high quality set of songs. The band is as melodic as ever but never sacrifice any of their hard-hitting aggression in the mix. There are several songs here that belong on rock radio and with any luck the band will use this as a launching pad to begin the next 10 years of Sevendust. |
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