Audio Mixers: John Connolly; Morgan Rose; Shawn Grove.
Recording information: Tree Sound Studios.
Photographers: Mitchell Davis; Fran Strine.
While all the alt-metal signifiers are firmly in place on Sevendust's sixth studio album--thrashy drumming, mesmerizing guitar heavyosity courtesy of Sonny Mayo--Sevendust stands apart from their peers in their attention to the rhythm. On songs like "Driven," chunky, riff-heavy verses burst into half-time choruses that ensnare and explode like land mines. Lajon Witherspoon's nuanced vocals also take surprising turns, from yowling to soul-baring crooning to something indefinably celestial. The band is not shy about adding the odd production touch here and there, like the bursts of rhythmic static mid-way through "Suffer," the effectively creepy spoken-word vocal intro to "Confession of Hatred," and hypnotic piano tinklings that precede the machine-gun guitars on "Aggression."
Professional Reviews
Kerrang (Magazine) (p.49) - "Sevendust's twin guitars are as deeply bellicose as ever, and surprisingly polished in final production."
Sevendust Alpha is a return to the sounds of Animosity and Seasons.
Alpha gets into it with the first track 'Deathstar' and really doesn't slow down.
It's Heavy but Lajon's signature melodies are still present, strinking and original in the context of all the albums that have come before.
The track 'Suffer' is a high point, with raw guitar mash, mixed with haunting solo effects. Sonny Mayo having some creative licence must have influenced the album, but he definitely has not moved away from Clint's Lowery (who has rejoined the band in 2008) "Sevendust" sound.
A must for any Sevendust fan.
This was a breath of fresh air from Sevendust, it is one of their best efforts to date. From the opening number you can hear they have spent a lot more time on the recording process and song construction. The songs sound heavier and fatter than any of their previous recordings, and carry an edge of hostility that isnt easily matched by any artist today. Sevendust are truly heavyweights of metal, and have earned their place in Rock.
