The Sevendust article in the latest issue of Revolver has a sidebar showing how bands that were once openers for Sevendust - Nickelback, Staind, Disturbed - have gone onto become some of the most popular rock acts of the decade. Is it just bad luck, or has Sevendust, despite releasing some great albums, failed to make that one undeniable hit that would catapult them to the mainstream?

Whatever it is, one thing is certain: Sevendust doesn't need to top the charts to please their strong fanbase and earn the respect of the hard rock community. The band continues earning that respect with their latest album Alpha, an adrenaline-fueled moshfest wrapped in a neat, 12-song package.

According to Revolver, Sevendust nearly went bankrupt in early 2006 after their label WineDark Records imploded and their accountant failed to pay their taxes, leaving the band with a massive amount of debt. Maybe that's why this disc is filled with so much aggression. Sure, Sevendust have always provided us with loud, heavy, crunching metal, but they usually mix in some softness. Mellow is in short supply on Alpha; crushing hard rock is what you can expect instead.

Just about every track features Sevendust's trademark bludgeoning metal sound - with even some brief nods to thrash mixed in - and deep growls from Lajon Witherspoon. Drummer Morgan Rose peppers songs with his own bursts of screaming, which are more frequent than usual, most likely his way of venting frustration following his recent divorce.

But don't think they've traded in their melodic side. Lajon still knows how to belt out a soaring chorus amidst the aggression. Some of the catchiest hooks appear in Suffer ("Fear is your only reason / You never thought that you'd see me in another season") and the anti-ingrate diatribe Clueless ("I'll never take a thing for granted / I'll never be a hypocrite"). On Alpha however, many of those big hooks seem to lean to the harsher side more than usual.

The breaks in heaviness come toward the end of the album. It starts with Confessions of Hatred, which features menacing, nearly spoken word verses and a slower, hooky chorus, though with some of Rose's loudest screams thrown in. Then comes Aggression, a track that begins with soft piano and Witherspoon's scratchy crooning before rising into more familiar heaviness. Finally, before the title track provides one last burst of rage, we get Burn, so far the album's most talked about track. Clocking in at nine-minutes, it shows the band moving into newer territory. It starts softly, erupts into ferocious verses, which lead into the album's most uplifting chorus, and after five minutes winds down with more soothing piano-laced atmosphere.

The return to the all-out aggression that begin with their last album is clearly in full force on Alpha. Just look at the blood-spattered liner notes for proof. But there is also a slight lean toward experimentation, something I'm eager to see more of from this already well-respected band.


Also from Sevendust:

Sevendust
Home
Animosity
Seasons
Next


Recommended: Yes