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Disturbed, Godsmack, Staind
Asylum
Sevendust:
Retrospective, Vol. 2
Retrospective, Vol. 2
- Hard Rock
- 2007
- Buy the CD
Reviewed by Bill Clark
()
L
ongtime Bullz-Eye readers have probably picked up on the fact that Sevendust is one of my favorite bands – ever. I was introduced to them back in 2001, with Animosity, and have been a junkie ever since. Their live show is one of the best on the planet and the group is comprised of five of the nicest guys I have ever met. They haven’t gotten their just due, even though 2007’s Alpha served as a giant shot in the arm and a return to their roots for the band. Sneaking onto shelves right before Christmas, Retrospective, Vol. 2, a follow-up to 2001’s Retrospective DVD release, is a good, but not great, summation of all things Sevendust over the past few years. The material covers the releases of 2005’s Next and 2007’s Alpha and everything that went on behind the scenes as the band found a new guitarist, formed their own label, and began producing their own records.
Disc one is the audio portion. Three previously unreleased tracks (at least in the United States) get things started. “Losing You” and “Sleeper” are both vintage Sevendust tracks and could have easily been placed on either Animosity or Alpha. “The Rim” is a very strange experience and is really nothing more than the band playing around (hunt down the video if you don’t believe me). The rest of the disc is comprised of some brutal live tracks, including “Hero” and “Silence” from Next, and “Deathstar,” “Clueless,” “Beg to Differ,” and “Alpha” from Alpha. If you’ve never heard or seen live Sevendust, you’re in for a big treat here.
Disc two, the DVD portion, is where this release falters a bit. “A Day in the Life of Sevendust” comes off as hollow and is really nothing more than a glorified compilation of studio footage. There are sections devoted to both Next and Alpha, but they quickly grow repetitive – even for me, a diehard fan. The members talk about the influences for the songs (drummer Morgan Rose really needs some new friends; he’s always pissed at everyone) and how great it is to be self-producing. That’s all well and good, but it hardly makes for compelling material.
When you get right down to it, this release should have been a full-length concert video. I’ve been waiting for that for years, as this band is amazing live. Disc one of this set is unquestionably better, but fans who have been with Sevendust all these years owe it to themselves to add this to the collection. After all, we will have a new record from them in March, and perhaps in light of that, we will finally get the live DVD we have all been waiting for.
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