Sevendust - Next
By: Chuck Thomas | Category: Album Reviews | 11/16/05 | 12:21 AM
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Grade: B+ | Genre: Hard Rock/Metal
Summary: Through all the troubles they've had recently, Sevendust has come through and made a great album that only has a few problems that can easily be remedied in the future.
After the decidedly riff-free and depressing Seasons failed to make an impact with rock fans, metal heroes Sevendust were at a loss. With label TVT wanting them to make a radio-friendly album and subsequently showing no support, plus guitarist Clint Lowery leaving the band to create Dark new Day with old friends, the future looked bleak for the Atlanta-based metal band. Instead of giving in, they recruited their old friend Sonny Mayo (formerly of Snot), changed labels (Universal-owned Winedark), took some of the lessons they learned from Seasons and incorporated their more traditional breakdowns and chainsaw-sounding riffs to make the appropriately titled Next. |
The album begins with "Hero," a scream-filled opus that showcases singer Lajon Witherspoon's position as one of the top singers in his field as he blasts through the song with his R&B inspired growling. Add the psychotic screaming of drummer Morgan Rose, his newly found intensive double kicks and intense breakdowns, and the song is a powerful opener to the album.
"Ugly," the first single, keeps the pace going with its plodding headbanging beat. The usual theme of being hurt by someone is backed by a medium paced-rhythm that features a blinding solo near the end. It made a great choice for the first single and also helps set the tone for most of the album.
"Pieces" continues the angry motif of the album, and also features more of the great double kick from Rose in a fast paced rocker much like "Praise" on 2001's Animosity. "Silence," except for the weak chorus, sounds the most like something off of 2001's excellent Home, with the sudden tempo changes and almost electronica-inspired rhythms, and accentuates the flow of the album nicely.
The synth backed song "This Life," a tribute to the emotions surrounding childbirth, is the first big misstep on the album. While touching and a decent song, it is rather poorly placed, as it feels like it should be further back in the album. Where it is now, it cuts the album up into two sections, and breaks the nice tempo that was established.
The rhythm is picked up slightly with the next track, "Failure," a medium paced blues inspired headbanger that, much like "Silence" has the band harkening back to the days of Home, though the chorus sounds more like something off of Animosity.
"See and Believe" is another misstep in the album, as the boring rhythms and incredibly inane chorus really add nothing to the album, and should have been left on the proverbial cutting room floor. It sounds more like it belongs on Seasons than on this album.
Luckily, following that is "Last Song," which is officially one of the angriest songs I've heard in years, with Witherspoon and Rose taking turns screaming mid-sentence throughout the song on top of barely contained seething anger pouring out of every note. It is easily the angriest song the band has ever written, even more so than the direct "Enemy" (directed towards ex-Coal Chamber singer Dez Fafara) from Seasons.
Another Seasons-inspired track, "Desertion" actually ends up working, as the song ends up being a nice mixture of the pop sensibilities of Seasons plus the harder rock that the band is known for. Plus, it has a great outro, which really saves the track.
The outro on "Desertion" blends into the similarly paced "Never," which is another track that mixes Seasons sensibilities with their roots. This song is an even better mix of everything they've done in the past and is a good example of how the Sevendust in the future might sound.
The album then ends with an acoustic song a la "Angel's Song" off of Animosity. The song appears to be about losing a wife to divorce, which ends the album on a very somber note. If the song is about Lajon himself, I have to ask: can the man get a break? First his brother is killed, then he loses a band member, now his wife leaves.
Either way, it's good to hear Sevendust get back in rhythm and on track. Throughout all the troubles they've had recently, the band has come through and made a great album that only has a few problems that can easily be remedied in the future. Now that TVT isn't breathing down their necks to make a radio-friendly album, they are more apt to create some really great music for their fans and return to their position as one of the most respected bands in metal.
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