Sevendust's 2010 release features the reunion of their original lineup, with guitarist
Clint Lowery returning for the first time since 2003, but stylistically it doesn't break with the pattern of their prior discography. They haven't suddenly gone jazz-rock, or become a grindcore band, or done anything else exciting. The songs continue to showcase
Lajon Witherspoon's soulful vocals atop the metallic guitar work of
John Connelly and
Lowery, while the rhythm section of drummer
Morgan Rose and bassist Vince Hornsby keeps it all thumping along. The songs plow a plodding, alt-metal/post-grunge groove similar to
Creed and many other 1990s-2000s mainstream hard rock bands, including
Daughtry, whose frontman made an appearance on
Sevendust's 2008 album
Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow. There are a few touches of industrial and nu metal here and there on tracks like "Karma" and "Ride Insane," but even the
Linkin Park-isms and
Disturbed knockoffs are thoroughly predictable in execution…and you can hear them coming a mile off.
Sevendust seem to be writing and playing with the intention of getting on the radio, but uniqueness, challenge, and genuine creativity seem beyond their capacity. These songs seem tailor-made for movie soundtrack placement, and that's kinda depressing. ~ Phil Freeman