Kill the Flaw: Sevendust Chose the Right Name for This Album

It should go without saying that this is only my own personal preference as a fan, but: I think Sevendust are at their best when they’re writing songs with hooks so massive and sharp they could tear a hole in Moby Dick’s cheek. That’s what was missing for me, personally, from 2013’s Black Out the Sun: great songs.

The deficiency of such tracks is much less of a problem on the band’s tenth studio album, the appropriately-named Kill the Flaw. There are definitely a few throw-away cuts on the record, and nothing quite matches the sheer awesomeness of Animosity, Seasons, or Cold Day Memory… but for the most part, Kill the Flaw aptly demonstrates the Atlanta band’s knack for writing material that’s equal parts aggro, melodic, fun, and contagious.

Since there are so few of them, let’s begin by discussing the mediocre songs. There’s three of them, and the they all have titles so apt as to be LOL-worthy: “Forget,” “Cease and Desist,” and “Silly Beast.” None of ’em are terrible, they’re just kinda… bland. I’ve listened to this album a half-a-dozen times already, and I can’t even remember enough about these tracks to describe them for you. They are melodic metal’s answer to the color beige.

Luckily, there are nine other songs on the album, all of which are solid at worst and set-list-ready at best. Songs falling into the latter category include album opener “Thank You,” which sounds like an improved version of “Inside,” the track that open 2008’s Clint Lowery-less Hope & Sorrow; the djenty, groovy “Not Today;” “Chop,” which sees the band doing their version of Southern rock, complete with acoustic, country-friendly guitars; the title track, which I’m pretty sure is the song In Flames have been trying to write for the past ten years (and which features a killer, wah-soaked Lowery solo); and album closer “Torched,” which will make you wonder if 7D were the unsung progenitors of NWOAHM.

Honestly, it’s crazy just to think that, so deep into their careers, Sevendust still haven’t settled into a comfortable position as a legacy band. Kill the Flaw demonstrates that this old dog has plenty of fight left in it… and isn’t so old, either.

Sevendust’s Kill the Flaw is out October 2. You can stream the entire album here and pre-order it here.