Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
Over the years I’ve developed a Love/Hate relationship with Sevendust. Specifically, I loved three of their albums (Sevendust, Home, and Southside Double-Wide), but did not care for the rest of them.
Oh sure, each album would have one or two songs that I’d like, but that’s it. Other than those three albums, none of their releases could hold my attention for the entirety of the record… until now. Alpha, Sevendust’s sixth studio album and first under their own label, shredded through my preconceptions of what this band was currently capable of.
Even heavier than their first two albums, Alpha seethes with the energy of a newly refocused band. While losing none of their abilities to craft a complete song with melody and emotion intact, all twelve songs will have your inner head-banger dancing with joy.
In a world full of catchy singles and careers built on reaching the top spot on TRL, it is so nice to see a band reach back and remind itself (and its fans) of why it plays music in the first place. It’s not about the fame or the money — okay, at least not totally about that. It’s about having a good time and making and listening to good music.
That’s what Alpha is, by the way. It’s good music. Period.
From the full throttle growl of the opening track “Deathstar,” the chunky guitar lick that fuels “Feed,” the beautiful vocals on “Under,” the dark beauty of the emotions that erupt on “Story Of Your Life,” down to the closing (and title) track’s melodic brutality — Sevendust’s Alpha grabs a hold of your throat and eardrums at the same time, and dares you not to feel!
Great album, by a refocused band — Buy it March 6th!
