Out of all the nu-metal bands that I came to be a fan of around 1997/1998, there are only two that still generate any type of excitement in my veins. The first is Tool, probably the pre-eminent rock band of our time, a band so majestically talented that they make a band like Linkin Park sound Fisher Price in comparison (think about it: Linkin Park, my first nu-metal band).
The other band is Sevendust, which may come as a surprise to some on this site. I was first introduced to them in late 1997 by my friend Nat. He popped a CD into his car disc player and I asked him what he put in. "Sevendust," he replied, "you're gonna love this sh*t."
On came Black, and my jaw dropped to the floor. To this day, I love that song. It rocked so f*cking hard, everything about the song, the guitar interplay, the drums, the bass, and those vocals, my GOD those vocals. It wasn't long before I realized why the song was called Black.
Lead vocalist Lajon Witherspoon gets an awful lot of the attention due to his race, but he garners almost as much attention for his voice, which harnesses a bit of metal aggression with a tad of soul into something which is really a beast to be reckoned with.
Unfortuntely, the band's self titled debut is, despite many assertions to the contrary, not a beast to be reckoned with, at least when compared to their follow up efforts.
But let's start with what is good. As I said before, Lajon is a powerful vocalist who sounds good throughout this record, even if he's not asked to really do much other than be "angry black man." While there are a couple of spots where he's able to expand his voice into something other than the low growl that permeates most of this record, those spots come off as too little too late.
Black is probably the best song the band has ever done, which isn't a knock on them and their follow up efforts, but rather the highest compliment I can pay this amazing song, a song that belongs in any kind of "best rock songs of the 90s" list.
And there are some other highlights on here. On B*tch, Lajon is able to actually sing for part of the song, and it's one of the few times where the band's over-reliance on the "soft/loud" dynamic that became so popular in the late 90s actually works.
We then come to Too Close to Hate, a song that has a buildup so similar to it's predecessor, Terminator, that you're left wondering if you're listening to a bad Tool cover band. But about halfway through Too Close to Hate, the song kind of undergoes a metamorphasis that really brings out some of this band's talent, and again, I really like the guitar interplay.
While Prayer keeps the slow buildup curse going, when it finally explodes in a fit of furious energy, the result is electric. Lajon sounds amazing on this track, and the guitar riff that pushes the song along on the chorus is heavy without being overly boring. And lastly, I really love the driving force of the album closing Born to Die.
With all that being said, I'm still not wild about this disc. For one, it's extremely repetitive, with not a whole lot of imagination behind the riffs. At times, it can feel like one big "chug, chugchuchug chug" fest. The structure of the songs lack a bit of imagination too. So many start off slowly or quietly, building into something bigger, making way for a great big chug-a-thon on the chorus. As mentioned above, Terminator is an awful bore. My Ruin, Face, Speak, they all lack imagination, focus, or anything that really makes them stand out, or for you to stand up and take notice of them.
It's hard to recommend this album, because it's faults are so out front and in the open. The band has since released, at least in my mind, two much better albums with much more developed songs. That being said, the good songs on here are much better than your average nu-metal band (see: Godsmack) who just chugs you to death with every song. So 3 stars and a tepid recommendation, a VERY tepid recommendation.
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