It’s not that hard to make a radio-friendly rock album these days, but in the case of Sevendust, their brand is just a little bit better than the norm. On their third release, Animosity, Lajon and co. have made their most impressive album. Over the course of their existence, they have fine-tuned their sound to avoid the thrash cliché, and have evolved emotionally to set themselves atop the hard-rock heap of metal wannabes.
The first track, “Tits On A Boar”, is the angry Sevendust of old. It’s rips heavy riffs with yelled vocals, something Lajon has grown out of. The first single from the album, “Praise”, follows with catchy crunches layered underneath the mature voices of Lajon, Clint, and Morgan. It’s that radio gem that all of these bands have today, but Sevendust just has more power behind what they sing about. Aaron Lewis of Staind makes an appearance on the track “Follow”, which is another of the heavier tracks on the album. They’ve also included a revamped “Angel’s Son”, which appeared on the Lynn Strait tribute album last year.
All in all, Animosity is what you’d expect from Sevendust. They’ve really showed a continuity that many bands can’t attest to. They have done the club circuit to death, and rightfully deserve a shot at the national spotlight. Unlike many of their nu-metal counterparts, they’ve earned the right to play the way they play. It’s heavy music in a time of heavy music, so if we say it’s better than all the rest of the garbage metal that’s been released in the past year, you’d better believe it!
+ rick hinkson
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