Sevendust
Fence

Sevendust have loved what they do for twenty-six years and have proven it with thirteen albums (soon to be fourteen) sold in thousands of copies worldwide, hundreds of live dates, and dozens of collaborations.

They have changed their name three times (risking having to compensate one of their namesakes), went bankrupt in 2006 due to the failure of WineDark Records (which left them without a dollar and on the street) but they bounced back with a series of successes and gold certifications.

Lajon Witherspoon is the soul of the group and not just for this reason he is called “soul metal”; before approaching metal (also passing through funk at a young age), in fact, he was the frontman of "Body & Soul" and during a support concert for "Snake Nation," a famous local rock band, Witherspoon was noticed by the founding members of Sevendust Vince Hornsby (bass), Morgan Rose (drums), and John Connolly (rhythm guitar). The three were so enchanted by that voice that they demanded Lajon join them immediately, just before guitarist Clint Lowery also arrived.

The frontman of Sevendust finds himself at the thirty-fifth position of the "Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time." His voice cradles and shakes, between melody and growls, giving a unique and unmistakable imprint to the sound of the Georgia band. Sevendust have changed very little in their lineup in almost three decades (apart from Clint Lowery’s in and out, replaced during his three-year absence by Sonny Mayo). Morgan Rose, the drummer, is an added frontman, not only because his vocals actively support Lajon. Rose is charismatic and a powerhouse, proving to be an indispensable figure in the band's economy in every live performance. With Clint Lowery, he founded the side project "Call Me No One," which released a single album “Last Parade” before closing its doors. John Connolly and Vinnie Hornsby, with the collaboration of Scott Phillips (drummer of Alter Bridge and Creed) and Eric Friedman (guitarist of the Tremonti Project), created the "Projected," a very interesting superband already on its second studio album.

Three years after their last work “Blood & Stone”, released during the pandemic, and after the reissue of their first successful self-titled album “Sevendust”, the new single “Fence” arrives, announcing the release of the new album “Truth Killer”, set for July 28th of this year.

“Fence” is the classic breath of oxygen-rich air for long-time fans because it encapsulates the typical old-school sounds of the five from Atlanta. It's not about nostalgia, rather a return to some healthy old-fashioned aggression after two albums filled with a lot of melody and little creativity, anesthetized by the specter of the loop.

In the tight three and a half minutes, there are many expectations, which in this case are far from disappointed.

The lyrics encompass much bitterness and resentment towards a past that will stick with us even in the future.

“Collect the blood until it's empty

Bury the truth until it's way too late to use”

And the awareness of having hit rock bottom so much that we raised it while climbing back up:

“Been down so long that the bottoms up”

Lajon’s voice scratches and gets vicious and if we closed our eyes, we might see him shirtless, with long dreadlocks during a wild old-school headbanging session. The video is impactful and in a live key, it shows the individual band members faithfully and in a caricatured manner with clay.

Historically, very sweet and introspective pieces like the splendid ballad “Angel’s Son” (from the second studio album “Animosity”), “Thank You” (which received a Grammy nomination in 2016), or “Hurt” (a NIN cover dedicated to Johnny Cash), among others, alternate with very gritty and introspective episodes, revealing the band's dual soul. The contents and sounds of “Fence” are immediately relatable to pieces like “Praise”, “Denial”, and “Black”, permanently present in every live setlist.

Even though after almost thirty years and a relentless recording activity, unpredictability and freshness have somewhat diminished, this last single reminds us that nothing is ever lost. Awaiting the imminent new album to reinforce this pleasant theory.