Search - Sevendust :: Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow

Slips between Commercial and Alternative

Maggie Mae | Memphis, Tennessee | 05/24/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This band has been through a lot over the years, by switching record companies, losing an important member and playing show after show but they've maintained enough to release this seventh album. The first track is definitely Sevendust, but when vocalist Lajon Witherspoon is heard it changes things. His voice doesn't quite fit with the music. being heavy metal due to it's more soulful sound.



Sevendust now kinda straddle between being commercial/mainstream and more underground/alternative metal. The album starts with the song "Inside" that hits you with a hard force then is followed by "Enough" which has a long instrumental intro (several songs on the album do) that builds tension then ends on a low riff side of things. What makes Sevendust standout though is their way of mixing Witherspoon's vocals (never going to the screeching mode) with the hard-driving guitars. His voice is full of emotion, which is heard on the track "The Past"(a more ballad type of song). With that said, in my opinion, none of the songs on Chapter VII are stand out hits like those from past albums , but it's still very decent. Not quite five stars though."

Sevendust's 7th chapter is a must read

Tornado2449 | Ohio | 04/04/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After 10 years Sevendust pumps out another album that will blow you away.



Expanding on their sound while still maintaining what makes them Sevendust, this album shows a growth lyrically and musically.



From the brutal verses in Inside to the bluesy Progidal Son to the epic Hope (one of their best songs ever) this album has every ingredient in the 7D catalog.



Everyone in the band is at the top of their game and it shows. Lajon Witherspoon shows why he's one of if not the best singer in rock, John Connolly and Sonny Mayo do an excellent job of mixing heavy and melody on(and throwing in the best solos that 7D has ever seen), Vinny Hornsby continues to lay down the solid bass lines and Morgan Rose continues to show us why he has won "Drummer of the Year" in Mordern Drummer magazine twice.



Whether you're a fan of Sevendust or maybe someone who lost touch with the band of the years, or just a fan of rock, this CD is a MUST in your collection."