by Martin Popoff
Sevendust - Home
(TVT/Universal)
The first one wasn't really that good in retrospect, but through hard touring, the band eventually
rang up a gold record in the states. Home, by comparison is the great leap forward, slamming with
confidence (and hip guest stars) into complicated rhythm riffery that vaguely owes something to
industrial, grunge and the Korn sound, while offering enough pure metal madness and sparing but
effective melody to make the bundle trundle. Denial is my fave, great chorus that sticks in the
craw, and much the rest is just a novel type of pro bludgeon groovery that is highly trendy in
that sort of tat-zone roamed by Godsmack. Not particularly my cup of tea, one can definitely see
that Sevendust got their chops, a fact which producer Toby Wright has been able to exploit with
wanton hi-fidelity (recording in the countryside outside Boston, after recommendations from Morgan
Rose's wife, Rayna of Coal Chamber fame). Note: managed by Twisted Sister's Jay Jay French who now
finally finds himself very busy again.
Rating 8
Substance D - Addictions
(Noise)
This second from the band (record one was practically a demo, originally slated to be under the
Black moniker), is practically a concept album documenting lead shoutster Todd Chaisson (ex-Tuff!)
and his battles with drug addiction. Musically, it's a more peaks and valleys type thing, also
less hardcore, new Bay area sound, and more industrial and groove-crushable. There's all sorts of
phone and fax and email effects stripped in to increase those voices in yer head, but the songs
are rock hurtful and the performances dramatic and often hypnotic. The type of modern metal that
is truly heavy almost all of the time, much in the vein of Chemlab and labelmates Pissing Razors.
Rating 7.5
