Sevendust
TVT Records
By: Alex Steininger
Sevendust are a powerful heavy metal quintet. Playing brutal, bone crunch metal, nothing proves their slam and break power more than their 12 week reign in the number one position at Heavy Rock/Metal radio. And as their popularity rises among fans of heavy music, you start to wonder how they went from gigging small bars to playing a variety of shows in under a year.It all starts out in their hometown of Atlanta where the various members of Sevendust earned their degree in heavy music, playing in different styles of hard music like punk, hardcore, and industrial. Then in 1995 they came together to try and expand on what they'd done in other musical mayhem, so they put the word out they were looking for a vocalist who could jump from screams to harmony and back to screams again at will. They soon found out Lajon Witherspoon was there man.
Vinnie Hornsby and Morgan Rose (together in the band Snake Nation) stole Lajon Witherspoon from another band (a local R & B band), grabbed John Connolly (the drummer for Peacedog), and Lee Banks for their guitarists and their line-up was complete. Settling on the name "Rumblefish", they had just entered into the musical spectrum that would eventually become "Sevendust".
Realizing they were going to need a manager (as all bands do) to start the journey they had in their minds, they quickly picked up the phone to call former "Snake Nation" manager Jay Jay French, from Twisted Sister fame. Begging and pleading, and finally convincing him, they had all the components need to jump start their project. Now going under the name "Crawlspace", they soon landed a track on the "Mortal Kombat: More Kombat" Soundtrack. Blowing away all that heard it, their fan base was starting to expand. And just as fans were starting to know them as "Crawlspace," a West Coast act claimed ownership of the name, forcing them to change their name. Finally deciding on "Sevendust", they were still armed and ready to take over the world.
Several months later, and with a full-length now available on TVT Records, Sevendust keeps climbing the metal charts, and burning their way into fans hearts. Keep an eye out for these guys, or if your not watching, you might lose an eye.
NOTE: Check out our review of Sevendust's CD in the "rock" section of this issue.
