Sevendust - Alpha

Rating

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RIYL

Disturbed
Godsmack
Nonpoint
Trapt

Tracklist

1. Deathstar
2. Clueless
3. Driven
4. Feed
5. Suffer
6. Beg to Differ
7. Under
8. Story of Your Life
9. Confessions of Hatred
10. Aggression
11. Burn
12. Alpha

Users Rating

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2 ratings

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Recent Ratings

It seems surprising to see a band like Sevendust still alive and kicking. While the guys had big success with their self-titled album, Home, and Animosity, the recent triumphs from the band are not what the past has offered. While Seasons wasn’t the huge album it was supposed to be and because of that the guys left TVT Records to start on their own label. With Next the guys seemed to be on a comeback. The music was spot-on, but that isn’t the case with Alpha.

From reading the press release, they make it seem like the new album is innovating. To be quite honest, it is far from that. 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. They might of as well called this a b-side album.

With running their own label and joining up with Asylum Records maybe this album will get some attention, but there is now way the guys will ever recreate what they did in the past.

--Chris Conlan

Author

Chris Conlan
Last updated: 09/29/2009 08:55PM

Comments

Mj Austin
03/05/2007
11:58AM
Location
Dallas, Texas
Sadly, I agree with this review. Tear. Until now, Sevendust has never let me down. This album feels like a rushed selection of “Next” b-sides -- only everything feeling forced and uninspired. I haven’t been able to listen to it all the way through a single time.

Nu-metal is done, and most of 7Dust's so-called fans have abandoned the style years ago. With that said, if they want to continue beyond this point, it’s perfectly safe for them to step outside of the box and try something truly different.

And with that said, I’m STILL buying this piece of shit tomorrow -- for completist sakes of course.

BTW, the cover art is awful.
Christopher Pandolfo
03/05/2007
12:09PM
Age: 21
Location
PA
The cover art is probably the worst thing I've ever seen BUT then again...if you look closer it may be telling you something...It's honestly a man holding his ears from listening to this Nu-Metal shit and it's not helping because there are two huge strings of blood spewing from the ears.

It's like a warning. "DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS CD OR YOUR EARS WILL BLEED".

So it may end up being good album art after all.

Music Blog.
Depths blog. (my band)

Jeremy Deal
03/05/2007
12:20PM
Age: 30
cloudscollide
The cover art is probably the worst thing I've ever seen BUT then again...if you look closer it may be telling you something...It's honestly a man holding his ears from listening to this Nu-Metal shit and it's not helping because there are two huge strings of blood spewing from the ears.

It's like a warning. "DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS CD OR YOUR EARS WILL BLEED".

So it may end up being good album art after all.


That's some funny shit!

"These are our lives, but did they ever even matter - are we worth remembering?"
- "Tip The Scales"
Rise Against

Kerwin White
03/05/2007
12:43PM
Age: 24
Location
blockbuster
Sevendust was like the only good numetal band.
rustycage
03/05/2007
01:10PM
Really? that bad? I still had some faith left for these guys.
secondguess
03/05/2007
03:15PM
Age: 23
Location
Florida
Personally, I don't really agree with Chris's review and I think that it's probably a first. This CD, to me, is not bad. Obviously, they have gone down-hill since Clint left the band, but to tell you the truth I believe that the songs are still really good songs. I think "Clueless" and "Under" are really great, as well as a handful of others. Of course there are a couple that are crappy, but for the most part it's not too bad. I think if you listen to it more and more it will grow on you.

And I actually disagree with you guys on the Album art too. I think it's kind of plain, but I think the drawing of the guy is really cool. I may get criticized for this comment but I just felt it necessary to stick up for this album because I think you all are making it out to be worse than it actually is.

Currently Listening to:
Karnivool
SikTh
Taproot
Nonpoint
Dark New Day
Far-Less

Chris Conlan
03/05/2007
03:24PM
Age: 26
Location
Dubuque
You have the right to express your own opinion on the album. I know some people are going to like it, some won't. I've been a fan of Sevendust for awhile now, and I personally enjoyed Next, but when listening to this album it just seemed half-assed.

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secondguess
03/05/2007
06:59PM
Age: 23
Location
Florida
Yea I know man. If that came off as ass-hole-ish I didn't mean it to. I just figured that it might have deserved a little bit more. Like I said, this is the first review in which I didn't take your side, haha.

Currently Listening to:
Karnivool
SikTh
Taproot
Nonpoint
Dark New Day
Far-Less

Rich
03/06/2007
08:48AM
Age: 24
Location
Leeds, England
I was actually impressed with this album, far better than next.

As for a review, this is laughable - very poorly done. Did you even listen to this album? Looks like you just decided it was nu-metal, and that alone justified the score.
Jeremy Deal
03/06/2007
08:54AM
Age: 30
Rich
I was actually impressed with this album, far better than next.

As for a review, this is laughable - very poorly done. Did you even listen to this album? Looks like you just decided it was nu-metal, and that alone justified the score.


I gotta stick up for Chris on this one. If you had read the review and subsequent comments he's made, you'd have realized that's pretty far from the truth. He even states that he's a Sevendust fan, and it's not that they changed their sound to nu-metal that he has issue with but that there was no change in sound.. no invention or creativity. You're more than welcome to say you like an album that a reviewer didn't - that's what the comments are for... but don't downtalk a review that says plenty in a few words. A self-professed fan of the band feels that this was a ho-hum album that could've easily served as b-sides. How can you go into too much detail on something that is mediocre at best? It's hard.

"These are our lives, but did they ever even matter - are we worth remembering?"
- "Tip The Scales"
Rise Against

Rick Gebhardt
03/06/2007
08:57AM
Age: 29
Location
Minnesota
I gotta agree with Rich here, this review is kind of laughable in how little information it contains. It basically boils down to saying, "Their old stuff was good, newer stuff not as much, and this sucks because it feels like b-sides." Fine, that might suffice for some, but considering some people (myself as an example) really like this band, it's so hard to read a review that doesn't give us shit for reasoning as to why the CD sucks.

Chris Conlan
03/06/2007
09:01AM
Age: 26
Location
Dubuque
Well, it would be pointless to go into songs, when every song sounds just like a b-side. It would be redundant. Only thing it would've added to the review was more words. Wouldn't of changed the meaning.

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Mj Austin
03/06/2007
09:17AM
Location
Dallas, Texas
rmgebhardt
I gotta agree with Rich here, this review is kind of laughable in how little information it contains. It basically boils down to saying, "Their old stuff was good, newer stuff not as much, and this sucks because it feels like b-sides." Fine, that might suffice for some, but considering some people (myself as an example) really like this band, it's so hard to read a review that doesn't give us shit for reasoning as to why the CD sucks.


Sorry Rick, though I do agree with you that this review is HORRIBLY written (should have mentioned that in my first post), there really isn’t much to say about this album. Even though I was thinking more along the lines of 2.0 for a score, that doesn’t change that it’s not very good at all. Chris pretty much summed it up with those few words. I’m as big a fan of this band as you are, but you can’t honestly tell me with a straight face that this album is any higher than a 2.5.
Chris Conlan
03/06/2007
09:38AM
Age: 26
Location
Dubuque
Yeah I know this is written to be an high class review, but as I say with my short to the point reviews, if the band gave me something to write about, I would.

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Rick Gebhardt
03/06/2007
09:44AM
Age: 29
Location
Minnesota
There is actually a decent amount you could have written about. "seems like rehashed material from every release they’ve put out" is a pretty generic statement considering there is a decent amount of change from their first CD to Next. If this CD sounds like B sides from all of them, then I want to know it. If it feels more like older, more aggressive b sides, I want to know it. If it's more of their recent mellower styled music then I want to know it. Not just some generic statement that gives no direction. You don't have to write a book, but it'd be nice to at least know a little bit about it. Just because you don't care doesn't mean others might not. I value your opinion, but you sure don't give us any reason to take stock in it.

Chris Conlan
03/06/2007
10:12AM
Age: 26
Location
Dubuque
I'll work on it next time.

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b_myers
03/08/2007
04:52PM
Age: 28
Location
Spokane, Washington
imo, they went to shit when clint left.

2009 Top 10 + Honorable Mentions:
http://www.decoymusic.com/users/3534/top_tens/2009

Current Listenings:
Devil Sold His Soul - "Blessed and Cursed"
Rocky Votolato - "True Devotion"
The Effort - "Wartime Citizens"
My Epic - "Yet"

Flare
03/09/2007
12:31PM
lol... Nice poser shot with the acoustic, Myers... You're a lover, not a hater??
Your post shows no sign of that.

To the point: Chris, while I have no issues with people providing subjective information, I have to honestly say that you're review gets a 0 (that's ZERO) star review from me. It would have been respectable to pan the album, siting ANY hint of specific detail, but you dipped your online pen in vanilla transparency.... No to mention the following for instance...

"While Seasons wasn’t the huge album it was supposed to be and because of that the guys left TVT Records to start on their own label."

That's not even a sentence, chief... lol... And look up the word "triumph."

Anyway, next time you pick/pan an album provide insight into WHY you feel the way you do about it.

For others who agree with the review, wait until you see the billboard charts next week...heh. Although you may not like it, you're in the EXTREME minority.
Chris Conlan
03/09/2007
12:43PM
Age: 26
Location
Dubuque
Triumph: 8. to be successful; achieve success.

I respect that you don't agree with me, to each his own. As I said, this review probably could've been longer, but at the end of the day, I felt this album lacked any substance. Compared to Next, this album is just a bore.

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