CD review SEVENDUST ‘Blood & Stone’

Time is flying, a thought I had when receiving the new longplayer of Sevendust. It feels like yesterday when the band debuted with ‘Sevendust’ and in the meantime we are 21 years older and 12 records further down the road of modern metal.

‘Blood & Stone’, so the title of the newest Sevendust release, is their thirteenth full-length record and it features 13 new songs. Two times ’13’, that might scare some people, believing in the power of bad luck connected to the number. In case of Sevendust though, ’13’ isn’t bad. In contrary, their new album sounds vital and lively from start to end.

It’s impossible to add the band to a specific genre. Modern metal, alternative rock and rock, all is united and reflected in Sevendust’s music. ‘Dying to Live’ is the start into the album and helps ‘Blood & Stone’ to get out of the box in a good fashion. A mighty riff shakes you up right away, followed by a melodic chorus that balances things.

After such a blast in pole position some ‘love’ is needed and ‘Love’ is the title of the next songs. A modern sound that’s less aggressive, characterizes the tune, a track with an anthemic expression while the emotionally loaded ‘Feel Like Going On’ shows a rocking Sevendust.

‘Nothing Left to See Here’ is a powerful half-ballad that is full of emotions too. Although it catches your attention right away, the band doesn’t use a cookie-cutter approach for writing soulful songs which is good news. Instead we get offered a melodic song with a good flow between hard and catchy. With ‘Desperation’ the heavier sounds return to the scene and it is ‘Against the World’ showing more than one layer. There are multiple nuances weaved into ‘Against the World’, which helps the song to delight more than just once.

‘Blood & Stone’ is a rock solid album. The band from Atlanta, GA unleash with their newest delivery a rock beast with an arsenal of strong melodies that bite right away. Equipped with an excellent sound, with Elvis Baskette at the helm, the album has enough edges and still speaks to a wider audience.