Sevendust - "Truth Killer"

I'm honestly not sure what truth we've killed here

Ah. Sevendust. More Alt Metal and Nu Metal, but kinda flipped, compared to From Ashes to New – more raw Alt with a touch of Nu. If you’ve listened to any “hard rock” radio over the last 20 years, I guarantee you’ve heard Sevendust, and you know exactly what Alt Metal sounds like.

Sevendust dropped their first album in 1997, believe it or not. Truth Killer is their 14th full-length album. Vocalist Lajon Witherspoon, one of the most prominent black faces in (modern) Rock and Metal, is fifty years old this year, and he still sounds as powerful as ever.

Alt Metal, taken by itself, is a genre I have difficulty taking seriously anymore. I feel that needs to be stated before we get into the actual review. For readers who aren’t familiar with Metal genre lines and boundaries, Alt Metal is basically the “mainstream” Metal genre; bands who carry “Alt Metal” as their dominant genre label are often also labeled as “Hard Rock”. These are the big-sound, tough-guy bands that get tons of radio play and motorcycle-riding fans. Bands like Five Finger Death Punch, Godsmack, Three Days Grace, Nickelback, and Alter Bridge. They’re like Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys in the 90s Pop world; like Creed in the Post-Grunge scene.

And because the sounds and elements used in Alt Metal are so basic for Metal, generally, a ton of bands that really aren’t Alt Metal still get tagged for using these elements. Take a look at the long list of “Alt Metal” acts on Wikipedia, which is non-exhaustive, but includes tons of names I wouldn’t expect to find there.

And now you have to be asking why you’re getting another long rant on genre rather than a proper review. I mean, two reviews, back-to-back now.

But I cannot separate an artist from their genre in a review. Each genre has strengths and shortcomings, and how a band plays to these or adapts around them matters. Inevitably, there are albums which can turn a genre on its head or create a new subgenre.

Is Truth Killer one of those? Most assuredly not.

Sevendust are an older band. They’re very comfortable in their sound and their place in the genre. That said, they also know the genre well enough to know what it does well, which is to sound both big and, more importantly, accessible.

This album is much more diverse in sound and scope than From Ashes to New’s effort was, and Sevendust pay more attention to melody. The album has highs and lows, and it’s clear that effort was made to differentiate the tracks at least somewhat.

Album opener “I Might Let The Devil Win” is a phenomenal tone-setter. It starts soft, then shifts gears with a whispered line and a big drop halfway through. “Won’t Stop the Bleeding” is foundation-forward and angry, then “Everything” ramps up the percussion and puts a little more rhythm in the bassline. “Holy Water” and “Messenger” put a lot of emphasis on melody.

A lot of the typical shallowness and sameness of Alt Metal is still present, but Sevendust still succeed in producing a good album here.

Rating: Green