Sevendust: Time Travelers & Bonfires review

Sevendust may be the biggest band to never hit major mainstream radio success. They sell out arenas and concerts everywhere they go and their fanbase is overwhelming. Ask any metalhead what they think of Sevendust and you’ll rarely get a negative response. With the rough and dominant vocals of frontman LaJon Witherspoon and intensely powerful drumming of Morgan Rose mixed with the double guitar attack of Clint Lowery and John Connolly and the groovy bass of Vince Hornsby, everything the Atlanta powerhouse have released has been a brutal and melodic adrenaline rush. Time Travelers and Bonfires, the band’s follow up to 2013’s critically acclaimed Black Out the Sun shows the band taking a different approach in the form of an acoustic record that has a few new tracks as well as acoustic renditions of some of their most popular songs. Opening with “Come Down,” we see the most peaceful side of Sevendust we’ve seen yet. With an upbeat and beautiful approach, the record is off to a roaring start. Follow that up with “The Wait” and “Upbeat Sugar” and Sevendust has already proven they’ve put out something special with this album. Their re-vamp of “Denial” is as haunting as it is gorgeous while “Black” offers up such a fresh take on the song that you may like it more than the original. In the end, Sevendust have proved that not only are they the kings of metal but that they can release an album near perfection whether they show their heavy side or soft side. Rating: 9.5/10 -Reggie Edwards