It’s been four long years since Sevendust released their self-titled debut album that instantly gave birth to the hybridized heavy rock, hard metal genre we have come to call Nu-Metal. Since the release of their 1997 self-titled debut and its 1999 follow-up Home, Sevendust has unfortunately had to witness the propagation of Nu-Metal in the form of mediocre, cookie cutter, they-all-sound-the-same, heavy bands like the Taproots, NothingFaces and Drowning Pools that have begun to invade TRL. Obviously the metal gods deep in the fiery pits of hell must be shaking their heads at this pathetic genre which has become composed of the formulaic detuned, high distortion, effect-pedal-friendly, muted-string, monotonous, rhythmic strumming that metal heads have so dearly begun to cling to as the result of a nothing-else-is-out-there syndrome. Maybe it was divine/satanic inspiration or a few guitar lessons, but Sevendust is back to reclaim their genre from the likes of Disturbed and P.O.D. with their latest album Animosity.
Granted the same grinding guitars, growling lyrics of alienation and rhythmic drum/bass pounding that made these Atlanta rockers famous is still there, but many of their songs have something that their contemporaries sorely lack–harmonically flowing choruses. True metal heads around the world will be flipping through the album notes while listening to Sevendust’s road-weary inspired “Trust” and the token head-banging single “Crucified” to see whether or not Dream Theater is the band now backing lead singer Lajon Whiterspoon.
Where did John Connolly and Clint Lowery, who could barely play power chords in sync with each other less than two years ago, come up with this musical depth? Harmony isn’t the only thing that these weathered musicians have demonstrated this time around. If “animosity” doesn't accurately describe this album's musically tone, “diversity” sure as hell would. When was the last time you heard acoustic guitars on an album as hard as this without sounding desperate for a commercial hit like, say, “More Than Words” on Extreme's Pornografitti album? Listening to track five, “X-mas Day,” will help remove the stigma associated with wussy, hair metal, acoustic ballads for good. And in case you haven’t heard it enough times since the attacks on the World Trade Center, Sevendust helps to breathe new life into its already overplayed “Angel’s Son,” the tribute to the late Lynn Strait of Snot, by offering a new version complete with a concert-string arrangement.
Ah, and what would a Sevendust album review be without at least one cliqued comparison to the legendary funk-metal rockers Living Colour? Listen to the album's first single “Praise” and you'll realize the validity of the ongoing comparison of Lajon to ex- Colour song man Corey Glover.
Diversity, harmony and head banging–who would have thought a metal album, let alone a Nu Metal album, could contain all of these qualities? Not a metal head? Get this album anyway. Got a metal head on your list for Christmas? Don’t bother getting him this one, cause he probably already picked up this instant classic.
