Authored By Joshua Pickard
Chattanooga hard rockers SevenStones do not have it easy. Their chosen sound is often pilfered and diluted by a variety of bands until there’s little left of the visceral impact which so many early rock groups were able to harness. It’s commonplace to mention Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin as forebears of this particular sound, but their work was so influential that it does seem right to continue to lay that gratitude at their feet. And while some may simply want to ride those rocking coattails, SevenStones adapt and redefine what these sounds mean to them without resorting to base mimicry or imitation. The guitars hammer away at your bones while the drums keep pace with your ever-quickening heartbeat — the band knows how to make a rock song that doesn’t feel tired or bloated. Built around the core of singer-guitarist Drew Elliot, guitarist Abraham Montalvo, bassist Rich Aycock and drummer Josh Kennedy, they have been refining this thunderous sound since their inception at the end of 2016. Friends since high school, they’ve had a lot of time to develop an innate intuition when it comes to the dynamics within the band. On their self-titled debut record, they build a consistently colossal rock roar over the course of 7 tracks. Borrowing bits from ‘90s alt-rock and ‘70s hard rock, the band combines and reshapes these rhythms into something of their own unique creation; it’s a bestial sound but one that doesn’t forget the importance of melody and structure. It’s not just volume at work here (although there is quite a lot of that as well). There are moments when they stumble across something that completely upends your perspective on them, such as the understated ending of “Into the Dark” or the thrash outro of “All My Life.” This album manages to sidestep many of the pitfalls that trip up lesser bands who’re convinced they’re the next hard rock band. SevenStones are content with working within the framework of the genre while simultaneously pushing its borders further and further away from its center. These tracks kick and growl but also effortlessly lay out a malleable foundation on which they can build upon in the future. Their vision of hard rock isn’t compressed but is expansive in its outlook. It’s vicious, serrated and foreboding while leaving you breathless and anxious to hear what the next song holds.
Joshua Pickard covers local and national music, film and other aspects of pop culture. You can contact him on Facebook, Twitter or by email. The opinions expressed in this column belong solely to the author, not Nooga.com or its employees.
