Straight out of Georgia, comes Cold Day Memory; Sevendust’s highly anticipated 8th full-length studio album. How do I know it’s highly anticipated? Well, number 1, it’s Sevendust. Number 2, we receive hundreds of search queries everyday for this album alone. I know you guys are chomping at the bit to get the dirt on this album so here we go!

Now, I can’t say that I’ve been a long time Sevendust listener or that I own their entire discography, because I haven’t been and I don’t. I’ve mostly been off and on listening to select tracks here and there over the years. Sevendust has developed a signature combination of crushing riffs, infectious hooks and commanding vocal work—as well as a memorable stage presence and a huge following. For all of you hardcore Sevendust fans, don’t fret at all. This album delivers a lot of the staple Sevendust sound that you’ve heard on their previous albums.

Cold Day Memory rips open revealing its guts with the song “Splinter”. This track is chock full of big meaty chugs and a hefty bounce to match, something that this band has perfected. Of course no Sevendust song is complete without a memorable hook delivery from Lajon Witherspoon and “Splinter” is no exception to the rule. I thought this was a pretty promising way to open up the album.

“Forever” follows suit without letting up a bit. The drums are pounding and the double bass drives the bounce along effortlessly. This song has one of the catchiest hooks on the album and I found myself going back to it for more. I think “Splinter” and “Forever” could be interchangeable as an opening track and still be successful. The drums here are a blueprint of what to expect throughout Cold Day Memory; not too over-the-top but they work well and bring things together in a cohesive assemblage.

On “Last Breath” Sevendust really shines with a track that beckons to be performed in stadiums and venues across the world. The bounce is pummeling when it’s put into overdrive on the intro and the chorus and Lajon delivers the vocals that really seem to set Sevendust apart from the rest of the pack. I would expect nothing less from him and I’ve really admired his vocal abilities since the first time I heard Sevendust. Further down the road be sure to checkout “The End Is Coming”. This track has some of the most memorable riffing on the album. Don’t overlook this one, despite the fact that it does get a little repetitive.

I think Cold Day Memory is very well-rounded and it succeeds in delivering the qualities and signature characteristics that one comes to expect from the guys of Sevendust. For me though, I felt as if the band hasn’t shifted much from their music formula, which for diehard Sevendust fans can be a good thing. For some of you this will be a make or break factor, and for others, you might have already passed the band off an album or two back. There are standout tracks on this album but there is also a good amount of “this sounds like some of their previous stuff” as well.

With songs like “Ride Insane”, “Hear And Now” and “Nowhere”, I became a little bored. I felt as if I was listening to songs I had heard before from the band, or perhaps even elsewhere, and wasn’t completely blown away by what was there. Another thing I noticed about Cold Day Memory was that each song has practically the same arrangement. On my first couple spins of the album while at work, everything seemed to bleed together because of the similarities. It took 3 or 4 spins while driving or devoting my time to the album itself before I could dig in and absorb everything.

For me personally, I think the album is a solid installment on the band’s resumé and it’s guaranteed that they will do well on the charts. My favorite tracks are “Forever”, “Last Breath” and “The End Is Coming”. Sevendust has assembled a formula that seems to work and makes for a great live show as well. Some might say if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it! I would have to say that I agree but at the same time I love to see a band take risks.

3.5/5