Sevendust
Next

THE REVIEW

Being photocopies of previous albums, the latest works from Ill Nino, Disturbed, and Staind are already there gathering dust while this new Sevendust, although it falls into the category of "lack of creativity" and "repetitiveness", I like a lot and it remains in heavy rotation in the car player. Maybe it's because Sevendust has always been appreciated for the sincerity of their offering, careful not to follow temporary trends and continuing on their path. Maybe it's because what they do, they do incredibly well, straightforwardly and without too many frills, with strong and compact riffs that hit straight to the gut in no time. Maybe it's because they have an amazing singer, with a unique voice (well, almost, he often evokes Corey Glover of Living Colour), always powerful and splendid in melodic openings. Maybe it's because, with all the peers in the nu-metal era dead and buried, 7D has remained a staple of that type of sound, for better or for worse, in short: take it or leave it. Maybe, but obviously I take it!

After the "Southside Double-Wide, Acoustic Live" phase that showed us an unusual acoustic version, Sevendust returns to the average of one album every two years with this "Next", almost as if to say "Next in line, move forward, we're back angrier than ever!". And "Hero" couldn't better represent this spirit: a start in Fear Factory style, with rhythmic sessions and guitars stopping and striking in unison, awaiting Witherspoon's usual yet always awaited melodic part. The subsequent "Ugly" (the first single from the album) showcases a slightly more refined riff than usual, with keyboard effects in the background filling and accompanying excellent vocals until reaching a brief acoustic opening... seems they've developed a taste for it. "This Life", a big ballad suitable for the radio, intersperses other tracks with a classic nu structure, while in "See And Believe", "The Last Song", and "Never" a bit of electronic comes back, providing something extra that diversifies an otherwise too monotonous album. "Shadows In Red" closes the work almost quietly, full of pathos and acoustic guitars where Glover is evoked like never before.

So nothing new then in Sevendust's house, no revolution, no search for belonging except to their land, to their origins which remain firmly rooted in their music, a branding iron that will accompany us for a long time: 7D, cover docet! Discography * Sevendust (1997) * Home (1999) * Animosity (2001) * Seasons (2003) * Southside Double-Wide: Acoustic Live (2004) * Next (2005)