Sevendust - Alpha Review

Overall 4.00 of 5 (by 1 user)

runnin262
Washington, IL

Sevendust takes a step up from Next

concert-goer, Music Fan

Pros

Good rockin' Sevendust

Cons

Little too wordy at times

JUL

2007

It's been ten years since the release of Sevendust's debut, and five albums later, the band is still running circles around the majority of their peers. While the band's first three albums remain classics, and Seasons was good in its own right, I was somewhat disappointed by the uneven pace of the band's last record, 2005's Next. Fortunately, I think the band has made a comeback with this latest album, Alpha. While the band may be a bit past their Animosity heyday, they manage to prove that they're still capable of rocking out and show no signs of slowing down.

This is the best sound quality Sevendust has had and with Shawn Grove (Collective Soul) and Ted Jensen (Fear Factory, Front Line Assembly, Oomph!) at the helm, this is hardly a surprise.

Opener "Deathstar" sets the bar with its chugging riffs and galloping drum rolls. This is without a doubt one of the heaviest, most aggressive songs the band has written, easily surpassing the likes of "Rumble Fish" and "TOAB." "Clueless" follows, and better shows the melodic side of Sevendust we've always known and loved. Single "Driven" is an instant favorite, in the vein of their previous hit "Ugly." Lajon's soulful vocals are once again ace on Alpha. He is clearly among the finest, most underappreciated singers of today.

"Under" meanwhile sticks out as my favorite track, an emotive mid-tempo number with one of the strongest choruses the band has yet written. Other highlights include the headbanging "Beg to Differ," the haunting "Aggression," the nine-minute "Burn" and the anthemic closing title track.

While this album is for the most part a success, I have a few minor complaints. First, I think Morgan's vocals are a bit overused, as they were on Next, as well as a few songs from Seasons. They weren't a problem on the older records, because for the most part they were used sparsely and were pushed back into the mix (refer to "Crucified," "Damaged" or "Beautiful" from Animosity). Since they're a frequent occurence on this album and are just as audible as Lajon's, they don't have quite the same effect and can occasionally be distracting. Some of the lyrics also seem silly. In the past the band have gotten away with strange lyrics because they were made up for in the presentation, but here lyrics like "Take your wrist and cut it open" come off as a bit childish. These are however minor problems and I wouldn't subtract any more than a star for the overall review.

In conclusion, I highly recommend Alpha to any self-respecting Sevendust fan, alternative metal fan, or anyone who hasn't yet heard these modern metal pioneers. While this doesn't touch the debut or Animosity, it's certainly not a far cry, and there are a good number of songs here that should translate exceptionally in live performances.

Highlights: Deathstar, Clueless, Driven, Under, Aggression, Burn