Customer Reviews

Sevendust

5 star:		(104)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I first saw this band at a local venue here in Atlanta 95' or 96' prior to this release. A lil history here... they were under the name "Crawlspace" at the time and i still have the six-song cassette tape i bought from that show to prove it. Those orignal songs went on this debut cd release.
Side 1. Terminator, Speak, Black.
Side 2. Bitch, Face, Prayer.
They cleaned them up a bit for the cd but they still sound close to the demo tape.
Now there is already a band with the "Crawlspace" name so i assume there was a conflict there and they became Sevendust. I heard them on the radio a couple years later and went and picked up the new cd. history lesson over...
I was as impressed with this release as i was seeing them live and shelling out $6 for the demo. I don't care much for their follow up cds, seems they strayed away from the raging sound that i grew to love from them. Like a lot of bands, sometimes their first is their best effort.

To this day Iam surprised that Sevendust hasnt made it big yet, but then I think to myself, hey thats cause they havnt sold out. This album as well as Home are two of the best metal CDs on the market, plain and simple. The heavy riffs mixed with probably the most talented metal singer EVER Lajon, create a very unique blend of harmony. Ive seen these guys play live serveral times and they are filled with tons of energy. This CD kicks major @ss! Best songs are Terminator and Too Close to Hate, actually the whole CD rocks. If you like Metallica and Creed you'll fall in love with Sevendust.

As you hear the opening distortion to "Black" you can't help but be reeled into the power this album has. "Black" was the only song i had heard from this album and it was all i needed to buy it. The song opens you up into this aggressive, no holds barred rock album. Sevendust is a breath of fresh air in the middle of a dulled out immature rock scene we've been getting lately. Lajon has a mindblowing voice and proves that you don't need to be an angry white guy to be metal. I recommend getting this album, especially if you're looking for something that gives you hope that rock will never die.

Key Tracks: Black, Bitch, Too Close to Hate, Face

First, if you're on this page, you're interested, so go ahead and pick up Sevendust's self-titled debut. It's good.

Second off, I just had to clear some things up. Scroll down a ways, until you get to the one out-of-place review here briliantly entitled "LAME!!!!!" with five, count 'em, five exclamation points to really drive this person's pointless review home.

Now, everyone's entitled to their own opinion, and I understand that, and I wouldn't have even written a thing about it if it didn't appear to be a totally WORTHLESS jumble of whining. From the top, the cd is good and solid, and actually has music behind the thrash you think it may just be. This certain reviewer from can you find Arthur? (whatever that is supposed to try and mean beats the crap out of me - probably just more pointless junk) starts off by complaining to all of us how he/she felt pressured to buy the cd because "everyone just loves [it]". And then they whined because it was a waste of their money. Heads up for you: they're reviews on the page of a product you must be interested enough in already (you're viewing the page to buy it, after all) and not people making you do anything. Then they go on to say it is just like every other band they've heard other than their certain select favorites. Well, if you hate all other bands other than Pink Floyd and Nirvana and such, why would you waste your money on anything else? Just stay at home and listen to them all you want and don't try and steer people interested in this hard-working band away.

Just my opinions on the matter. Buy it if you want, don't if you don't want to.

Peace out.

Let me describe the sound in one sentence: It's pure metal, but not as fast as "Master of Puppets", but deeper sounding than "Korn". I just love the way the guitars are played in this album. It's so different, and the deep sounding bass really pumps me up. This is one of a few metal bands that just flows well.

Want to know what I mean? Listen to "Terminator" or "Too Close to Hate". The bass really kicks in. It's not distorted like most other metal bands. It's smooth sounding.

Another awesome thing about this CD is the fact that the lead singer isn't the only one who sings. Not only is the bass incredible, but the way the other guitarists sing in the background just adds a lot more to the songs.

I highly recommend this album.

Sure, like any band, Sevendust have some influences; Faith No More, Rage Against the Machine, and Rollins Band are all apparent sources of inspiration in this Georgia group's self-titled debut. But, with a vocal style which ranges from visceral, blood-curdling yells to growls to limpid, soulful singing, Sevendust also very much have a sound of their own. With the rest of the band turning out hefty, jagged riffs and walloping drum beats, the music is still heavy, but Lajon really helps to make most of these songs (at least somewhat) tuneful. Thus, Lajon's soaring vocals make his band closer to being under the melodic metal label than the nu-metal one. And several of the songs ("Terminator," "Too Close To Hate," "Prayer") also have a catchy, memorable chorus. Tracks three, four, six, and seven feature wah-wah guitar licks (plus track four also has chunky riffs), whereas the singles, "Black" and "B - tch," have heavy, syncopated, chugging guitars, and the churning, percussion-heavy "Speak" and the album closer ("Born To Die") are probably the best examples of Sevendust's famous surging rhythms. Another notable track is "My Ruin," which begins as a slower, almost power ballad but then turns into a staccato rhythm with lurching riffs. All in all, this is a great debut from an arguably great band. Sevendust might be nu-metal, but they are much more than a typical, angsty, Mommy-hating nu-metal act. Also, this album is a good place to start if you're new to Sevendust, because, later on in their career, this band would begin experimenting (i.e. with rap and acoustic guitars), but this debut is a good album for displaying Sevendust's quintessential sound.

Sevendust is now a very popular mainstream band but when this album came out they had never been heard of. I bought this album in 1997 when it first came out and lost it along the way. I just repurchased it and I am loving it all over again. It is definately more raw than their newer stuff but it still has the Sevendust sound that I have come to love. The first two songs on the album are Black and Bitch and they are probably two of the best songs this band has ever came out with on this album or any other (including the new album "Next"). I own all Sevendust's albums and if you are a hardcore Sevendust fan or just a hardcore metal fan you need to have the album that started it all!!!!

Since Sevendust splashed onto the scene in 1997, they have become a juggernaut in the hard-rock scene. Probably the most successful band out there that got to where they are simply by word of mouth, and by their incredible, captivating live show (a must see). You really have to respect Sevendust for what they do. Each album they come out with it just as hard-driving and intense as it is passionate and beautiful, and this, their self-titled debut, is no exception. This is the album that got me started on Sevendust, so maybe my view is a bit different than those who are just getting into them with more recent albums, afterall, this effort is a little more raw than the newer material. However, it still captures the pure essence of what Sevendust are, and is larger than life with some of it's songs. Two songs that represent this album the best: "Black" and "Bitch." "Black" is simply and undeniably an addictive anthem, a classic in Sevendust's song book. It's pretty heavy and doesn't really let up, but frontman Lajon Witherspoon's soulful vocals just soar over the music. He is easily one of the most passionate and intense frontman in the genre, and this one song manages to showcase what he's all about. "Bitch" is more in the melodic vein, and goes from loud-to-soft and revolves around a topic everyone -- male or female -- can relate to. These two songs alone give you an idea of what Sevendust is about. Another worthy mention is "Prayer," a song Lajon wrote about his brother (who was, sadly enough, murdered years after this song), which puts the most melodic and sensitive side of Sevendust on display (but still rocks out in the chorus). "Terminator," and the closing track "Born To Die" are two of the heaviest moments here, and remain true classics. In fact, this whole album is a hit. I've listened to it so many times over the years and it still holds up just as well as their other material. Although they would dip into more melody on later releases, this album gives you a pretty good sense of what Sevendust are all about, as it is truly a "live" album. If you love Sevendust, but don't own this album, or if you just love heavy-metal or hard-rock, you will love this album. It's hard not to.

Sevendust's first record smokes. They tune way down, but sound like no other act out there. This is largely due to the impressive soulful vocals of Lajon Witherspoon. On "Black," he screams "I ain't doin' nothin' wrong" with authority. Just as impressive is his performance on the crooning to bludgeoning "Prayer." The rest of the guys are no slouches either. Guitarists John Connolly and Clint Lowery drop bombs on slammin' tracks, like "Too Close To Hate" and the AIC meets Pantera of "My Ruin." Everyone else out there that thinks they're heavy better be taking notes. Sevendust are here to stay.

Sevendust has created the most amazing combination of melody and hard rock grit I have ever heard. It is evident throughout all of their albums including their self-titled album "sevendust." You may find that some of the sound is unclear, that is because of a small budget, not lack of talent. Their second release home is amazing as well. The fact that they created every song on the album while they were on tour makes it all the more impressive. Their recent album "animosity" displays just how musicaly gifted these guys are. If you really want to hear this band at their best buy their most recent album, but "sevendust" and "home" are great albums as well.