Review: Sevendust - ‘Chapter VII: Hope And Sorrow’
Posted: March 29th, 2008
Contributed By: Nick
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Purchase @ Amazon.com Release Date: April 1, 2008 via 7Bros./Asylum |
| Sevendust is: Lajon Witherspoon (Vocals) Clint Lowery (Guitar) John Connolly (Guitar) Vince Hornsby (Bass) Morgan Rose (Drums) |
Overview: Back in 2001, Weezer made a roaring comeback with their ‘Green‘ album. The following year, they dropped ‘Maladroit‘. When asked about the brief span between successive releases, front-man Rivers Cuomo stated they would put out a new album each year for at least the next few years; nearly six years later, and ‘Maladroit‘ is still the most recent Weezer fashion. Why would I bring up Weezer you ask? Because a band out of Hotlanta, Georgia seems to have adopted Cuomo’s thinking, whether intentional or not. Yes, it was a little more than one year ago that Sevendust released their sixth studio effort ‘Alpha‘, and proceeded to rigorously tour in support of the record for months. While former axeman Clint Lowery was busy desecrating hotel rooms on tour with Korn, Sevendust began writing for their next album, announcing a new album was to be released before 2007 waved goodbye. No, it’s not a bird, it’s not a plane-it’s the roaddogs of Sevendust back for another go ’round with their seventh album fittingly entitled ‘Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow‘, complete with a handful of cameos from esteemed contributors. With six days before the albums release, original guitarist Clint Lowery announced his return to the band.
The Good: For Sevendust, ‘Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow‘ throws out all the rules and serves to help redefine the band. You might be accustomed to a track leading off a Sevendust album to step up to the plate and deliver a bludgeoning welcome, but “Inside” sees no such fate. The song carefully gets the gears of ‘Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow‘ churning with a big, brooding introduction, segueing into punchy riffs and pummeling drums that are more graceful than they are catastrophic; throw in a towering chorus for good measure, and “Inside” is a bold statement from Sevendust, a disclaimer if you will to the intrepid and inquisitive nature of ‘Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow‘. The band follows a tough act with “Enough”, a song dripping with ‘Animosity‘ inspired vibe that astutely harnesses a potent blend of harmony and melody, and culminates in bombastic fashion with the guttural belts of Morgan Rose. The first ‘Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow‘ alumnus, a guitarist by the name of Mark Tremonti, arrives on “Hope”, a hell of a song to happen so early on the record by anyone’s standards. “Hope” levitates gracefully from Tremonti-led ethereal and majestic verses to brutal bursts of chorus, but what about the track makes it far too epic for the infant stages of ‘Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow‘? Venture about three minutes and forty seconds into “Hope” and you will find you answer-an orchestra driven, power metal tirade pulled off with precision, making it seem as though it were already Sevendust’s signature trade. ‘Animosity‘ fans rejoice, because the band once again taps into their 2001 release as they churn out “Sccapegoat”, a would-be standard fare rock sermon that ends up getting under your skin, utilizing the guitar savvy of John Connolly and Sonny Mayo and the tug-of-war vocal attack from Lajon Witherspoon and Morgan Rose. “Fear” keeps you on your toes, for what begins as an everyday Sevendust concoction of disjointed riffs and urgent vocals flutters angelically into a melodic powerhouse before being ignited for a bruising finale that ices off one of the most thorough tunes of ‘Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow‘. Guest number two makes his presence felt on the sensitive “The Past”, as Lajon and Idol vet Chris Daughtry team up for a heartfelt and sincere combination of extraordinary vocal capabilities that will send chills running down your spine. ‘Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow‘ picks up the pace a bit with its first single and well-positioned “Prodigal Son”, a throwback anthem singed ever-so-slightly with stoner rock grooves that stands out as one of Sevendust’s strongest singles in recent time. “Lifeless” is its own entity, a venturesome dynamic rollercoaster that proves how cognizant Sevendust are to their craft. The trinity of guests featured on ‘Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow‘ is completed by the perfect fit of Myles Kennedy’s vocal contribution to “Sorrow”, a ruminating and impassioned piece caressed by humble doses of orchestral elements in one of Sevendust’s more soulful offerings. ‘Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow‘ has its glib side as well, emanated by the nu-metal flashback “Contradiction”; while the dreaded thought of nu-metal poking its head out of the grave is enough to make one shudder, who could be trusted more than Sevendust to sculpt something refreshingly nostalgic out of a genre better left in the dust? The final showdown arrives suddenly with “Walk Away”, a track scripted like that of a hurricane. The song gusts in the early going with incisive guitars and combative vocals, exalted by ‘Seasons’ era expansive choruses. The eye of the storm beckons during a brief moment of tranquility before being evaporated by a vitriolic Sevendust frenzy of an eye wall, nuking everything in its path; the storm that was ‘Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow‘ passes soon after, lingering the final stages of “Walk Away” with a phantom and placid outerlude for you to catch your breath, sit back, and come to a realization-you just got Sevendusted.
The Bad: Raking ‘Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow‘ over the coals at any degree seems tragic, but it must be done to some extent. A bulk of the songs begin with intros that clock in around a minute and change and quickly lose their desired effect after the first few attempts. Although Daughtry’s “The Past” and Kennedy’s “Sorrow” are nearly flawless, they are very similar in nature, and it would have been nice to have heard Sevendust use one of the two for a heavier, more energy-packed song. ‘Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow‘ is not the balls to the wall Sevendust you may have become accustomed to hearing on albums like ‘Home‘, ‘Next‘, or even ‘Alpha‘, relying more on sultry and meditative patterns and favoring growth and maturity over copious attacks on the listener; is this a bad thing for Sevendust?-not in the slightest, but could it possibly deter those listeners seeking the band they have become used to ripping them to shreds from fully appreciating what ‘Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow‘ has to offer?-sadly, yes.
Bottomline: Oh, before I go any further I want to make a point about ‘Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow‘. Morgan, love the screams man, always have, but it was clear with ‘Alpha‘ it had gotten out of control. ‘Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow‘ sees Rose taking a much needed backseat, his screams implemented modestly to squeeze extra angst out of certain parts and rightfully allowing Lajon to have the floor and paint his provocative vocals across the remainder of the band’s instrumental genius. With that out of the way, there really is not much else I can say about ‘Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow‘, because not only was “The Good” section long winded enough, but I am also left speechless each time I play the album front to back, a feat which no Dust album has been able to recreate for me since ‘Animosity‘. I must say, I am really happy for Sevendust, because it finally sounds as though they have recorded the album THEY wanted to make and hear, not the balls to the wall rock entendre a majority of their fans have become accustomed to hearing. Selfish desires fulfilled or not, ‘Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow‘ is arguably Sevendust’s most honest and complete works, and proves why they seem to stand stronger and stronger as time soldiers on. A truly magnificent album.
Rating: 9.5 out of 10
Mike said:
Sevendust…the cult favorites of TuneLab Music.
That’s a cool CD cover.
March 29th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
ohgreat said:
The front cover of the CD is intriguing. Lovely artwork.
Sevendust are considered to be cult is in fact true, too, Mike.
I’ve always, always known that Sevendust have a melodic side. If this is it, it’s a good review I’m reading.
March 29th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
ohgreat said:
Okay, who made a typo that Morgan Rose is bassist which means he’s actually the drummer who does the screams also?
What were you doing, Nick? Drunk?
March 29th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Mike said:
It will be a cold day in hell before Nick’s incredibly well written reviews are criticized by…ohgreat of all people. lol
March 29th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Chris said:
The typo was mine… not Nick’s
March 29th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
ohgreat said:
Well, that clears everything about typos. Very funny, Mike. I wanted results and I get them than no other than Chris. Very weird to call it ‘it will be a cold day in hell’?! Sevendust is good. Typos is bad.
March 29th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
Cfw828 said:
I don’t own all of the Sevendust albums, but I have all confidence in knowing that this is the best album I’ve listened to so far.
March 30th, 2008 at 6:58 am
Fred said:
Someone who types broken english is griping about typos.
Im really looking forward to this album. With all of the “Animosity” references, I hope it lives up. It certainly sounds like it will from this review. Animosity was just incredible. Though, Ive loved all SDs albums, Animosity certainly was the most complete front to back. Cant wait.
March 30th, 2008 at 7:58 am
Nick said:
this album keeps getting better and better with each listen…please do yourselves a favor and grab a copy on tuesday you wont regret it!!!
March 30th, 2008 at 9:00 am
Corey said:
No Sevendust album has managed to capture my interest since “Seasons”, but this one looks like it might renew my faith in them. “The Past” is amazing, and the opening track is the perfect introduction.
March 30th, 2008 at 11:19 am
jordan said:
why can’t sevendust get the following that some of the other bands do. I mean i can ask anyone who disturbed is and they will know…but sevendust? only die hard rock fans know whats up. *sigh…
March 30th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Cfw828 said:
Because they don’t have “that one song”.
Disturbed has “Stupify”
Three Days Grace has “(I Hate) Everything About You”
and so on and so forth.
As good as Sevendust always is and has been, they don’t have that one song that everyone will remember them by.
For me, that should have been when Angel’s Son was released.
Granted, they’ve been around for over a decade, but it seems like when they’ve had their chances, they didn’t get the promotion they damn sure deserved.
March 30th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Fred said:
I was never a big fan of “Angels Son”. But I do agree. They never had that one HUGE hit. And the style they play isnt going to get a huge number of stations playing them. And really, thats where the success is….cross over. Not that you need that to become successfull always, but it doesnt hurt.
Jordan, Im sure every SD fan like ourselves have asked that question. These guys are to good to not have reached the success of less talented bands.
March 30th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Sox5452 said:
Disturbed’s one song is definitely Down with the Sickness, not Stupify. Although I like Stupify a lot better
March 30th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Jay said:
the intro is awesome. like Nick said, it’s very different for them with that really slow beginning, and you don’t really know what to expect, but then that little guitar rise and fall comes in with the signature Sevendust crunch following it and you know who it is. then it explodes. killer. you can just picture smoke filling a stage as they all sneak out and the lights kick up as the intro stops.
March 30th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Sox5452 said:
But great point, I do agree that they have a bunch of moderate singles but never that one huge hit
March 30th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Nick said:
cfw828’s post was pretty head on
March 30th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Nate said:
I was a little disappointed in the album. Seems a little slow and lethargic. The intros of virtually every song doesn’t help. As I listen to it more, I’ll get over the fact that its not Alpha Pt. 2. Still a good album, but I was expecting more.
March 30th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Lucas said:
I was really surprised by the intros/outros on the songs but I like it. The intro on “Inside” is wicked ass, and like Jay said I love how it just explodes into that classic Sevendust riff. This album just blows me a way and I agree 100% w/ the review, Nick. You’ve sure got a talent for these things, have I mentioned that?
Anywho, this album is great and hope it gets the success it deserves. 9.5/10 is the rating for me as well. I love the guest vocals and guest guitars thrown in here, too. Near perfect album.
March 30th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Toxicity said:
As far as those “one song” comments go, i think they may have that one song on this album…”The Past”, seems really radio-iffic, but IMO its a lot deeper than that.
Anywho, great album, not exactly my favorite as after Prodigal Son it loses my interest, But its not bad by any means (my favorite album is Alpha for its consistency)
March 30th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
Nick said:
nah i still dont think anything off ‘cvii’ has “that one”…imo all their stuff has jus been too good to really separate any one song as a single
i think if radio had given “denial” and “waffle” more of a chance and they released “licking cream” as a single, sevendust would be right along with the 3 days grace’s and buckcherry’s
March 30th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
mydownfall said:
I believe you get two bonus tracks when you buy the Best Buy version.
March 31st, 2008 at 6:36 am
Chris said:
iTunes has a bonus track as well
March 31st, 2008 at 7:16 am
jackbauer24 said:
I hope this is FINALLY 7Dust’s breakout record. I can’t think of any band that is more deserving of a platinum record. All their hard work has got to pay off!
“Amazing” is the only way I can describe this album. From top to bottom. The intros are different, but pretty sweet. The guest vocalists were used perfectly, they weren’t just done so they could slap a few well-known names on the album. Tremonti’s guest appearance also worked well, as Hope was a nice change of pace for 7Dust. Great song!
I could go on all day, but the point is this band just continues to improve album after album, which is just amazing and unheard of. I believe this album can easily be held in the same regard as Animosity.
Let’s all cross our fingers and hope Clint’s return does not do anything to hinder the progression of this incredible band.
March 31st, 2008 at 7:56 am
jordan said:
hinder? ur crazy.
Sevendust was my first concert and who converted me from rap to rock in 7th grade…they will always be my favorite. My one complaint in their style is that those riffs get redundant sometimes, and this happened when sonny joined. I figure its because he wasnt an original member and he probably was a little overwhelmed and probably not as good as clint and so he stuck with power chords. But it dont matter, its what makes dust dust. But since the last 2 albums were heavy into that power chord stuff, im glad clint will be coming back and HOPEFULLY add some finesse to the guitar. I wouldnt mind seeing some solos either… it seems like sevendusts breakdowns are the weakest part of their song which is weird…
anyways… its bull@#$@ that they havent gotten that one song. Enemy and face to face should have been huge… i think the problem is they are too much inbetween genres on the stuff the rock stations play. they dont get the play they deserve. Im telling you right now you would be able to play all of sevendusts cds straight all day on a rock station and people would love it.
March 31st, 2008 at 10:43 am
Nick said:
haha jordan’s post was great, sounds like me and my friends talking
listen to ‘home’…clint’s one note chug a lug style works people haha
March 31st, 2008 at 6:29 pm
jordan said:
k so i got to the album today. and its awesome. The first 9 songs are put together perfectly… if they put track 6 at the 5 spot i think this album would have had the best 1-5 songs ive ever seen on an album. i think 10 and 11 were average. Oh and DEFINITELY buy the Best Buy version. It comes with 2 extras one thats really good and different… the itunes comes with one but its not very good. I still have to go with Animosity as my favorite album tho cuz it has my favorite song ever made on it. Xmas Day. but this ones right behind it.
April 1st, 2008 at 6:22 pm
Year of the spider said:
I agree with the majority and ive only listened to it once. This is another great 7d album.
April 6th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Dave_APTQ said:
I like this cd .. I do feel the intros to each song are too long. I wouldn’t say this is their best album. I am still a huge fan of Seasons and Animosity.
April 7th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Dave_APTQ said:
Also “Bitch” was getting rotation in Boston heavily .. just as “Stupify” was for Disturbed back in the day. Sevendust was in the zone with that “hit” … they need to regroup with Clint and I am sure they’re capable of doing it.
April 7th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
daedae said:
Much like the Tantric CD, I had a much lower opinion of this CD than you (and a number of other people, it seems). It’s different, yes, but I think it was somewhat of a failed experiment.
My review at antiMusic: http://www.antimusic.com/reviews/08/SevendustCVII.shtml
April 28th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
jordan said:
daedae….I’ve got five words for you……..Die
May 7th, 2008 at 9:19 am
Cfw828 said:
Four more words: Album of the Year.
May 9th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
ohgreat said:
Ughh. Hate it.
June 26th, 2008 at 10:30 pm
Metallisker said:
I bet ohgreat is a Hinder fan.
August 12th, 2008 at 3:57 pm