Sevendust: Lajon (vocals); Clint Lowery, John Connolly (guitar, background vocals); Vince Hornsby (bass); Morgan Rose (drums, background vocals).

Recorded at Triclops, Atlanta, Georgia.

Mix a bunch of hardcore punk musicians from Atlanta, add an R&B singer and put them under the tutelage of a former member of Twisted Sister and you have Sevendust. Drawing on influences from Ministry, 24-7 Spyz and Pantera to Rage Against The Machine, they create some of the heaviest music heard since metal's mid-80s heyday. Crunching guitars and the passionate, screaming vocals of Lajon attack your senses while the rhythm section chugs along relentlessly.

Starting with the flanged intro to "Black," this band grabs you in their clutches and doesn't let go, through the wah-wah sounds of "Terminator" to the last rhythmic push of "Born To Die." But don't think these guys are just out to inflict sonic whiplash on unsuspecting ears; there's a message to the madness. This multi-racial band seeks to bring peace to the world through metal. With the wide audience they've earned with their debut album, they just might succeed.