Sevendust Blood & Stone (2020) Review

Reviewed by Chris Hammond

Sevendust- Blood & Stone (2020)
Label: Rise Records
Style: Hard Rock, Heavy Metal

Tracklist:

1. Dying to Live – 3:09
2. Love- 3:58
3. Blood From a Stone – 3:21
4. Feel Like Going On – 4:21
5. What You’ve Become – 3:44
6. Kill Me – 3:38
7. Nothing Left to See Here Anymore – 3:30
8. Desperation – 3:32
9. Criminal – 4:16
10. Against the World – 4:00
11. Alone – 3:37
12. Wish You Well – 3:17
13. The Day I Tried to Live – 4:55
    Runtime: 49 minutes
    
    Sevendust Band Members
    Vince Hornsby – bass, backing vocals
    Morgan Rose – drums, backing vocals
    John Connolly – lead guitar, backing vocals
    Lajon Witherspoon – lead vocals
    Clint Lowery – lead guitar, backing vocals

Sevendust returns with Blood & Stone, the band’s 13th studio album. This 13 track effort from the veteran hard rockers includes a cover of Soundgarden’s “The day I tried to Live” which is in tribute to the late singer Chris Cornell (Soundgarden has been important to everyone in the Sevendust camp throughout their musical career).

Sevendust is 20 plus years into their music career and doesn’t miss a beat.
Blood & Stone is heavy on the melodic beats and powerful choruses lead by Lajon Witherspoon. Although Sevendust was known for the heavier straight-ahead heavy metal sound earlier in their career, they have shifted slightly to a more hard rock entity. This shift does not diminish their listenability in the least but rather guarantees to expand the Sevendust Fanbase

The songs “Dying to Live”, “Blood from a Stone” and “Kill Me” galvanize the band’s heavier side with the trademark Witherspoon lead vocals and grooving instrumentals.

Slower songs such as “Feel like Going On” and “Nothing left to See Here Anymore” are still just as groove-based, but also highlight a different (but no less impressive) singing style for Witherspoon.

The cover for Soundgarden’s “The Day I Tried to Live” is both sonically and vocally a masterpiece. This is one of the most impressive covers of a Soundgarden song that my ears have ever been privy to. Thankfully it doesn’t overshadow the rest of the album’s output but rather aids in putting a cherry on top of an already perfect collection of songs.

Sevendust is still around, kicking it hard with their 13th studio album and plan to be around for a long time.

5 out of 5 stars.

Available October 23/2020 digital download, CD and LP
https://riserecords.lnk.to/bloodandstone