Sevendust - Next

Genre metal Publisher Winedark External Links Official Website Winedark

While the rest of the world moves on, nu-metal continues to wither away, struggling to remain relevant, bands like Mudvayne and Fear Factory continue to churn out the same old bottom-heavy chords and angst-ridden lyrics, and the further we become removed from that horrible period between 1998 and 2001, when the metal genre seemed stuck in a quagmire of repetitive songs and anti-social sentiment, the better off we all are. Acts like Mastodon and the Dillinger Escape Plan lead the charge these days, pushing the sound forward, but while those old nu-metal bands seem to be fading off into the distance in our collective rear-view mirrors, it's best to remember the age-old adage: objects in the mirror are closer than they appear.

While System of a Down and Slipknot have successfully transcended the nu-metal tag, the same cannot be said for the majority of their peers from five years ago. However, those bands still have an audience (shrinking as it may be), and continue to release new records with regularity. Such perseverance is admirable, but as far as the music goes, we're left wondering why they even bothered.

Atlanta's Sevendust find themselves in that very situation, which is a shame, considering the potential they displayed during the late-90s. While most heavy acts were into nothing but aggro hardcore yelling, Sevendust vocalist Lajon Witherspoon showed surprising effectiveness as a lead singer, blending aggressive vocals with catchy, almost soulful melodies (something American metalcore bands would adopt several years later). After building a strong core audience, nabbing a gig at Woodstock 99, and turning heads with the very well-received second album Home, the songwriting never seemed to fully develop beyond a certain point, as subsequent releases began to sound more and more repetitive. With the release of their fifth album, the oddly titled Next, Sevendust emerge minus founding guitarist Clint Lowery, and with new axeman Sonny Mayo (formerly of Snot), but sadly, the infusion of a fresh face has done nothing to wake the band out of their torpor.

As is the case with any nu-metal album, there are songs that grab you quickly, as "Hero" and "Ugly," tired Fear Factory knock-offs that they are, are bolstered by Witherspoon's usual powerful vocals. "Silence" is one of the best tracks the band has written in ages, balancing furious drop-D aggression with contagious melodies, while Mayo's creative, effects-laden guitar crunches offset the introspective theme of the impressive "Desertion". Sadly, the rest of the album just slips into the same old rut that plagues these kinds of bands, as "Pieces" is little more than a flaccid clone of Slipknot circa 2001, while the synth-driven ballad "This Life", sincere as it is, dips into too many songwriting clichés to make it work well. The rest of the album continues to plod along lugubriously, making for an uncomfortably long 43 minutes. It's a real shame, considering how good this band can be when they manage to show some passion. "Next," indeed.