Kill the Flaw

Personnel: Clint Lowery, Kurt Wubbenhorst (keyboards).
Audio Mixer: Mike Ferretti.
Recording information: Architekt Studios, Butler, New Jersey.
Illustrator: Donny Phillips.
Returning to their heavy basics, Sevendust kicked out their 11th studio album Kill the Flaw largely in the studio -- a move that had the effect of reinvigorating the veteran nu-metal band. On the surface, it sounds a bit like a throwback to the days of Y2K -- dropped tunings on grinding guitars, fifth harmonies on overdriven power ballads -- but beneath that veneer, it's clear Sevendust are a different band, one that's a bit more mature. There's an ease to how they swing between open-ended, ethereal textures and gut-level riffs -- "Cease and Desist" is a microcosm of that skill -- that only comes with age and singer Lajon Witherspoon's voice is appealingly weathered, lending the music some gravity. All this means Kill the Flaw doesn't feel like a desperate scramble toward the Sevendust's roots; rather, it feels like a reconnection to what inspired the band in the first place. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine