Sevendust - Alpha (7/10)
by: randall_mcnally
Total views: 267
01. Deathstar
02. Clueless
03. Driven
04. Feed
05. Suffer
06. Beg to Differ
07. Under
08. Story of Your Life
09. Confessions of Hatred
10. Aggression
11. Burn
12. Alpha
9/10 : Greg Maki / Live Metal
No band combines heaviness and gigantic choruses as effectively, and on Alpha, the transitions between the two sides are more natural than ever. It is as if the band needed an album to work out the songwriting kinks and develop a new chemistry following [Clint] Lowery’s exit... The songs on this disc build on all of the elements that helped Sevendust make their mark when they stormed onto the scene 10 years... their most complete album to date.
9/10: Dan Upton / Thrashpit
What's more interesting is the experimentation on the disc, possibly influenced by Sonny being involved in the writing. While there are still plenty of riffs primarily based around polyrhythmic chugging against Morgan's drums, there's more creativity in the riffs and fills; for example, a spiraling fill on opener "Deathstar..." anger and frustration are fairly central themes to the disc. This spills over into the vocal delivery as well; Morgan's screams come much more frequently than on past discs, and even many of Lajon's normally-soulful lyrics are delivered with a sharper edge in his voice.
9/10: coldguitargod7 / Sputnik Music
Going for a more earth-shattering sound, unlike their more melodic sound in Seasons and Next (not saying they werent heavy), the band pulls off a hardcore album but still keeps they're good ol' Sevendust sound.
9/10: Bam-Bam / Away Team
From the opening track, “Deathstar”, you know the boys have come with swords sharpened. By track three, the first release to commercial radio, “Driven”, you’re screaming for mercy. The aforementioned does provide some classic ‘Dust moments in that the melodies and grooves are easily accessible, but this all gives way to the intriguing feel provided by the following ass-kicker “Feed”. Drummer Morgan Rose is on fire as usual and his playing is flawless throughout...
8/10: Chad Bowar / About Music
Sevendust has been through a lot of personal trauma and tragedy the past few years, and that is reflected in the sound of Alpha. It's angry, and also one of the heaviest albums they've done in a while. The brutality is tempered with plenty of melody and very catchy riffs and hooks.
8/10: runnin262 / Viewpoints
While this album is for the most part a success, I have a few minor complaints. First, I think Morgan's vocals are a bit overused, as they were on Next, as well as a few songs from Seasons. They weren't a problem on the older records, because for the most part they were used sparsely and were pushed back into the mix... Since they're a frequent occurence on this album and are just as audible as Lajon's, they don't have quite the same effect and can occasionally be distracting.
8/10: Nick / TuneLab Music
'Alpha' proves that Sevendust show no signs of slowing down, as melody and energy are all the rage for the disc's entirety... The beauty of 'Alpha' is found in several of the track's choruses, most specifically in the gorgeous vibe of "Burn", a nine minute progressive opus that finds Sevendust implementing bongos, egg shakers, and rain sticks to create an atmospheric shimmer.
7.9/10: Ed Thompson / IGN Music
The heavy power chords, the powerful vocals of lead singer Lajon Witherspoon, the occasional call-and-response vocals between Witherspoon and drummer/backup vocalist Morgan Rose, and the all-around ass-kicking rhythms that make the metal fans go crazy when they are played in concert. These are all present on Alpha... solid from the first note to the last - no matter where you start listening.
7.5/10: Brandon Ratliff / 411 Mania
At worst, this album is entirely too predictable. At best, it’s just too familiar. The first four songs switch between heavy and Animosity type stuff, only to have “Suffer,” the fifth track, sound like an amalgamation of the two... While some of the riffs do sound slightly regurgitated from previous efforts, Alpha is yet another solid album from the Sevendust camp.
7/10: RememberMetal? / Metal Underground
Alpha finds the band juggling a “return to form” motif with a bent for experimentation... Rather than diving headlong into evolution, the band are keen to dabble, which should do little to shake their loyal core following. Furthermore, the band haven’t stooped to the frat boy bravado or utter selloutship of their peers and they will survive longer for it.
4/10: Stephen Thomas Erlewine / All Music
... as a whole: it's the work of a veteran alt-metal band that hasn't expanded their range but instead focused on their primal strengths to the extent that they've lost their capability to surprise either themselves or their audience.
3/10: Chris Conlan / Decoy Music
Lajon Witherspoon still has a great voice, but every song on the album just seems like rehashed material from every release they’ve put out. There isn’t a moment on the album where they take you by surprise.
2/10: Dr. Pete / Living For Metal
... the music is actually better than people give them credit for, but this has been the exact same formula used for the previous five albums. One would think that a band that has released as many album as Sevendust would at least experiment every once in a while.
Positive: Michael Jones / Blog Critics
Sevendust’s sixth studio album and first under their own label, shredded through my preconceptions of what this band was currently capable of... Alpha seethes with the energy of a newly refocused band.
"Driven" Video:
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About the Author
Randall McNally is the pseudonym for an extremely private heavy metal fan from the Midwest region of the United States of America. Fed a steady diet of British New-Wave and Hair Metal in his formative years, he was just coming of age when Grunge exploded on to the scene, and his life has never been the same. Randall is the webmaster of the website Reverb Madness.
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