The return of Clint Lowery on guitars after the release of Chapter VII Hope and Sorrow has been felt with a tremendous force as Sevendust is set to release Cold Day Memory. Those that have followed the band have seen them go through struggles with former labels, financial troubles with a new label and musically a soul searching journey to find the sound that created Sevendust. When the band released Next, this album made a push for the return to a heavier, more emotion infused style especially coming from the single “Prodigal Son”. The two releases after, Alpha and Chapter VII Hope and Sorrow, though seemed to display Sevendust taking a step back and going in more of a pop/alternative direction with the latter release carrying more melodic pieces then any other previous release. It’s been a year later and once again Sevendust comes out of the studio with something they hope will be a staple in their long career.
Sevendust has such a broad range of playing ability that it’s always a wonder as to what each new release will bring musically and that anticipation is always felt on the first track. A band will sit down during the recording process and actually sift through all the tracks for an album and try to pick out the order and most importantly the track that will take the lead and set the tone. On Cold Day Memory there was no better track to lead the charge then “Splinter”. As the band chimes in unison with a single note followed by a timely inserted guitar piece, it’s quickly evident that this is no easy listening piece but rather a return of Sevendust to heavy metal. “Splinter” leads in with a rhythmic catchy style led by the solid beats of Morgan Rose and a return to form for Lajon Witherspoon on vocals with a nice mixture of melodic vocals and timely screams and growls. Almost as if left off of the self-titled debut, “Forever” pays homage to that original sound with driving beats and a distinctive Sevendust guitar sound. Lyrically, “Forever” is one of the tracks that the band seems to use to release a lot of angst and hard feelings that have been building through the years. “Karma” is another heavy piece that really touches on a lot of the emotions the band as a whole has endured. Lajon touches on every aspect of his vocal ability with driving emotion that erupts into screams of release with the rest of the band joining in unison at moments. A great lyrical moment shows up on “Ride Insane” as Lajon belts out “I need this like the devil needs Jesus, like a war needs treason; I’ve been through hell for a reason.”
Still not able to fully let go of the melodic style, Sevendust slips “Confessions” and “Nowhere” in to help keep Cold Day Memory grounded and not all about heavy metal. The music still has a driving force to it and gains formidable momentum as the lead guitar unleashes a timely solo, but in the end both tracks lack the grit that makes Sevendust really shine. Almost as a saving grace to help start leading Cold Day Memory out on a heavy note, “Here and Now” puts the band back into an aggressive mode with the vocals containing a bit more fire. Just as important as finding the right track to begin an album with, Sevendust also had the task of finding the best way to end Cold Day Memory. “Better Place” makes a strong argument as to being a solid pick to end the album with a slow yet driving style, but in the end “Strong Arm Broken” steals the show. This track alone shows a few different facets of the styles Sevendust is able to touch on and proves to be one of the more raw sounding pieces on the album.
Just reading what Sevendust has endured through the past few years and then listening to Cold Day Memory, a lot of the anger and driving metal found within starts to find meaning. This album is a culmination of the old sound and the new sound finding harmony and is sure to please any fan.
