Hard Reviews 3
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

Hard Reviews Page 4