To Crumble and Just Break Down

On a whim -- and because it was only twelve dollars -- I picked up Sevendust's latest album, Seasons. Now, I really liked their self-titled disc and their breakthrough Home. Yet, 2001's Animosity was such wank. It seemed like they were trying to go in all directions at once -- Staind whining, Korn angst, Slipknot rage -- like they were trying to be more and more "radio-friendly", losing something integral to their core, and releasing an album that didn't seem entirely sure what it wanted to be.

What impressed me about Home wasn't just how hard the album was, to the point where some songs were just downright crunchy, but that the whole album gelled into more or less a male fronted, harder version of Skunk Anasie or a latter day Faith No More. Animosity just sounded like nu-metal trash.

Anyway, Seasons continues the softer, gentler side of Sevendust, but it's a more cohesive product. There's an attempt at an album sound here. One that makes them sound like they're writing three minute versions of Dream Theater songs, which I'm not sure is a good thing. The songs on the album are decent, well-crafted, but they still lack the raw energy and power behind their earlier work.