ALBUM REVIEW: Blood & Stone – Sevendust

Chuggy and bouncy riffs, Check. Sultry melodic harmonies, Check. Uplifting powerful choruses, Check. We must be listening to a SEVENDUST record. 13 albums in and the previously Grammy-nominated, hard rock outfit are still going strong and prove they are still one of the most hard-working and steadfast bands out there today.

With their SOUNDGARDEN cover of The Day I Tried To Live, blowing up rock radio charts, the guys exploded back onto the scene. It was a bold move covering the late-great Chris Cornell but if there’s anyone that could nail this cover it was SEVENDUST. Thanks to Lajon Witherspoon‘s powerful pipes, the result is one of the most respectable SOUNDGARDEN covers to date and served to wet the whistle of fans clamouring for more original music.

Luckily for them, lead single Blood From A Stone was following not too far behind and showed that SEVENDUST hasn’t lost a single step. Over the past few releases, the band have shown a little bit more of a heavy side to them which comes through in the driving riffs on display in this track. The band aren’t known so much for their heavier moments but when they do appear on the album they are a true highlight and adds to the herculean emotion that is always present throughout their albums.

Well known for kicking off their records with a bang, Blood & Stone is no different with the chunky track Dying To Live that ploughs through with a thunderous low end. It features a gargantuan sing-a-long chorus which showcases the immense power of Lajon’s voice which can only be described as a gift from the gods themselves. The following track Love is home to some impressive drum work from the maestro Morgan Rose and his galloping percussion means that this song clatters along at full pelt. The emotion that is felt through the music and the vocals is incomparable to any other radio rock band out there. The tracks may be structured to suit airplay but there is so much more depth on show here than your average hard rock act.

The production is once again handled by Michael ‘Elvis’ Baskette who produced their previous effort All I See Is War and it seems like a match made in rock heaven. He mixes brutality with beauty perfectly and no instrument overpowers one another at any point. Kill Me is a perfect example of the stellar production on show with the track featuring heavier verses but also a chorus that is enchanting and soars over the guitars with ease. The band are well known for their slower, more ballad-like tracks and while Blood & Stone features some of the band’s more down-tuned moments, there is no shortage of lighters up opportunities during tracks like Feel Like Going On and Nothing Left To See Here Anymore.

Against The World is a later album highlight that features some subtle keys which are present in a few tracks on the record. Unfortunately towards the end of the album, there is a slight feeling of bloat and after 13 albums of not mixing up their style too much, it can take a toll on those all too familiar with their sound. The old adage of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ does apply here, as they know what they excel at and use that to their full advantage but it can mean the album loses a bit of its charm further down the tracklisting. Wish You Well, however, is a stone-cold banger that deserves to be mentioned as a final parting high five to the band.

SEVENDUST stakes their claim once more as one of the genres most dependable and consistent bands with Blood & Stone. Their impeccable talent for creating radio acceptable hard rock gems is on show throughout the record and while their sound could be perceived as predictable, the more fitting word would be reliable. You know where you are with SEVENDUST and that’s a familiar and safe place to be for their fans. Blood & Stone is another incredible achievement for the band who is still showing no signs of slowing down.

Rating: 8/10 

Blood & Stone is set for release on October 23rd via Rise Records.

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