Album Review: Sevendust - Blood & Stone
Reviewed by Tim Finch
How is it already twenty three years since Sevendust released their debut album? Twenty three years is a long time in the music industry and the band have made the most of it, releasing twelve studio albums until now. Throughout their career they have forged a huge fanbase, which has kept them on the top of their game for so long.
This October the Atlanta, GA based outfit release their thirteenth studio album, ‘Blood & Stone’. The striking album cover, a towering pile on stones sat in a river of blood, grabs the attention before even a note is played. The image and contrasting colours sucking you in wanting to find out more!
Pioneers in the nu-metal subgenre, ‘Blood & Stone’ retains that familiar feel, aggressive, in your face, but also with the hint of a softer side. ‘Dying To Live’ hooks you in from the off with a gripping riff and Lajon Witherspoon’s majestic vocal range. Distinctly nu-metal but having progressed that sound over their near thirty year career.
‘Feel Like Going On’ switches things up, the hook laden riffs stand aside for this powerful ballad driven by Lejon’s voice. But ‘What You’ve Become’ follows on, bringing that aggression back. Throughout the recording the band are not afraid to push the envelope, drifting between the more traditional numbers and showing their more emotional side on tracks like ‘Kill Me’. All of this rounded out with an interestingly unique cover of Soundgarden’s ‘The Day I Tried To Live’.
‘Blood & Stone’ isn’t a landmark album, but it’s not bad either, far from it. For fans of the genre and the band, the album slots perfectly into their sphere of influence; a must have piece of new music. But if you weren’t fans before, this is not likely to win you over either.
