HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: Chapter VII: Hope & Sorrow – Sevendust

When a band is seven albums deep into their catalogue, there’s an insinuation the band has found and perfected the formula which works for them. Seven records demonstrates longevity and clearly some demand. Or does it? This is the conundrum SEVENDUST faced with the album Chapter VII: Hope & Sorrow.

Following 2007’s Alpha was always going to be a somewhat gargantuan task. It was the first rock album released through Asylum Records. Alpha had also performed well on the charts with a placement at number 14 on the Billboard 200. So how were SEVENDUST going to solve a problem like Alpha?

Prodigal Son gave fans a taste of the album that was to come. The single had performed relatively well, charting at number 19, and received the heavy radio rotation SEVENDUST had enjoyed over in the States. What Prodigal Son teased was 2008’s Chapter VII: Hope & Sorrow.

The 49 minute run time gave fans a smorgasbord of the typical SEVENDUST material. Harsh riffs accompanied by life affirming lyricism with a sprinkling of rage here and there. Though Prodigal Son’s “I’m coming on like an elephant gun” still puzzles many listeners to this day. Yet Chapter VII gave fans more of the same with Scapegoat flowing through the same vein as Alpha’s Confession Of Hatred. It’s many similarities between each track which became a good thing for stalwart fans yet a bone of contention for many others, Blabbermouth going as far as to say “the wheels are beginning to spin”.

Wheels were indeed spinning for the Atlanta brood. SEVENDUST had been precariously treading the boards of becoming a band which churned out the same material each album cycle. Formulaic can be a good thing but it can also kill a band. Yet Inside’s call back to 1997’s self-titled record in terms of the unbridled rage in the verses proves that not all was not lost. Radio friendly ballad-esque choruses may have killed the vibe throughout Chapter VII, but it instead became a gateway album.

What better way to bolster the reputation of a gateway record than to have guest features from some of the biggest names in the 2008 music scene. Titular tracks Hope and Sorrow had contributions from ALTER BRIDGE’s Mark Tremonti and Myles Kennedy respectively. Having the kings of broody and atmospheric ballads which collide with hard hitting guitars was a genius move for SEVENDUST. Hope had the beautiful Tremonti blend of speed metal inspired solos and melodies which would have belonged on any ALTER BRIDGE or CREED record. Kennedy‘s contributions to Sorrow are some of the most haunting lyrics we’ve heard. We still argue it’s criminal neither were released as singles which led them to sit in obscurity for quite some time. Yet one guest caught the attention of rock and pop fans alike. Capitalising on an American Idol stint some two years earlier, The Past features former contestant Chris Daughtry (DAUGHTRY). Though peaking at number 27 on the single charts, the single may not have performed well at the time, but has stood the test of time as being a crucial gateway single.

What should have brought many fans back into the fold was the return of original guitarist Clint Lowery. Lowery hadn’t played on the album – this being the last to feature Sonny Mayo in the role of axe wielder – but the return of the prodigal son came some six days before the album’s release. The steadfast and fiercely loyal would flock to the stores and push the album to number 19 on the Billboard 200. Though not everyone was so keen.

Released on April Fool’s Day, some critics seized the opportunity to pull no punches when it came to Chapter VII. In the same review we cited earlier, Blabbermouth would comment “There are several above average moments here, but none that really jump out of the speakers with enough vigor to floor the listener.”. Settling within the same realm of opinion, All Music would brand the album’s material as the “sort of tough-guy-ballad approach that often yields heavy rotation on modern rock radio”.

Lukewarm isn’t it? This is where Chapter VII: Hope And Sorrow continues to sit. To the point none of the material from this album graces a live set list. Is it deserved? Possibly. This album had so much potential with those ALTER BRIDGE and DAUGHTRY heavyweights added to the docket. Instead of rising to the main event, Chapter VII: Hope And Sorrow would sit on the midcard before quickly being relegated to preliminaries. Listening back to Chapter VII, there are some wonderful tracks in the frustration laden Scapegoat and the melancholy soaked The Past. However, there still isn’t enough to dethrone successor 2003’s Seasons as being SEVENDUST’s crowning achievement.

Chapter VII: Hope And Sorrow was originally released on April 1 2008 via 7 Bros. Records/Warner Music Group.

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