Sevendust - Chapter VII: Hope & Sorrow [album]
 

I was pleasantly surprised when Atlanta native Sevendust announced their new album Chapter VII: Hope & Sorrow, dissolving the traditional 'one recording every two years' I had come to expect, just over a year since their last album, Alpha.

Not knowing in which direction Sevendust would head with their seventh release, I was pleased to find it powerful and emotive from the very beginning. Opening track Inside starts with industrial drums and a tinny grind to give a cold, harsh feel to the song. Lead singer, Lajon Witherspoon's vocals come in forceful without sounding too death-metal like. This is the perfect opening track, and would not sound out of place kicking off one of their shows as well as the album. Even after only one track, I'm having the feeling that my iPod won't allow me to play this album as loud as I'd like to.

An obvious change of pace comes with the part-title track Hope – ringing in keys with a haunting, pensive melody. At first, this seems like the token "slow ballad" of the album, but with everything becoming pleasantly hard as soon as the chorus begins, this is the quintessential track from Chapter VII. Witherspoon somehow manages to switch between soft singing and a raging roar effortlessly – proving again that he is an immense vocal artist.

I'm not sure I can get away with calling The Past a beautiful track without pansying up this review. Chris Daughtry appears on this track fitting in surprisingly well. Going in sceptical that Daughtry would only ruin a Sevendust album, this combination with Witherspoon makes this not only a song that Daughtry himself can be proud of, but Sevendust too.

Prodigal Son was the obvious choice for Sevendust to release first as a single, with its instant rock radio friendly sound. In true Sevendust fashion, they have managed to just fit this song into the 'commercially viable' section while still keeping it one that firm Sevendust fans will not shun.

Sorrow, the other part-title track, is an absolute standout on Chapter VII, making the entire album worth purchasing even just for this song. There is a more classic rock feel to this, reminiscent of more old school Animosity Sevendust. Their experience and knowledge of not only what sounds good, but the sound they want to make comes across in tonnes on this track. This is one where I sit and think "Wow, I'm glad they wrote this song".

Fight song Contradiction is packed with psychotic drums (I could have sworn I'd put on Metallica's One instead) and infectious guitar from now defunct guitarist Sonny Mayo.
Final track Walk Away bears Witherspoon's blatant versatility and talent again leaving a clean and polished departure.

The other tracks surrounding the above mentioned standouts cannot be described as 'filler'; they each bring something to Chapter VII making it entirely possible to listen to this album from start to finish, over and over again.

Sevendust fans will add this chapter to their collection no doubt, and it may very well be a decent buy for any Sevendust first-timers as well. I personally like that this album doesn't sway too much in the direction of death metal or too much in the other direction and become too soft. Overall, an unexpected yet sublime album from an extraordinary band.