Good morning, afternoon, and evening readers around the world. Let’s start, continue, or end out day with some very exciting news, Louisiana based hard rock/nu metal act, Sevvven have returned with an absolute juggernaut of a new album, and this exciting new album is called Don’t Panic.
Opening with the highly infectious title track Don’t Panic, Sevvven once again set themselves apart from the rest of the pack. Don’t Panic feels very much like a warning shot as much as friendly advice, it is a song that straddles the genres of Nu Metal and Alt Rock gracefully, and for many, this song will be blasted on repeat many times before they move onto the next impressive song on the album.
The second song on the album is titled Awakened, and the vocal line on this album is akin to something you would expect from acts like Bad Omens and Katatonia. Awakened feels so personal and methodic in its delivery. The rise and the fall of the vocals, the lyrics that demand your attention, and a beautiful heaviness that reminds me of a Sleep Token breakdown – it is a bloody gorgeous single.
Do Not Resusitate is an incredibly well-crafted song, and the entire band really worked on this one to make sure that everything was given room to breathe, which is so important when considering the heaviness of the content of this track. When I saw the name of this song, I expected upon hitting play that it was going to be a very heavy song, and I was pleased to see that the band decided to make this one more of a slower tempo and introspective feel. This is not an easy song to listen to if you have some heavy thoughts about life and death, but that is also what makes it one of their best songs to date.
If you have been a fan of Sevvven for even a short while, then you know about their hit single Cannibals. This is the hardest song on the album so far, and clearly Sevvven wants us to know that they are capable of a great diversity in their sound. At its core, Cannibals is a song that fans of Asking Alexandria will appreciate. It is beautifully melodic, while also unleashing some od the bands heaviest screams and instrumental breakdowns. Cannibals is a meticulously crafted song with layers upon layers of sound and is the true signature sound of this impressive band.
Ok, hold the phone! I don’t even know what song on this album is my favorite any longer. Sea of Regrets is bloody stunning! As far as guitar riffs go, this is my favorite on the album, and let’s not overlook the bass and drums that are right there to just kick you right in the face (respectfully of course). The build-up of this song leads to a payoff that has you turning the volume dial way past ten! *Applause to Sevvven*.
Oh look, there is more! I mean, at this point this album has had no issues, no low points, no areas that could have had more attention, and the searing single Cold doesn’t disappoint. Cold is a solid song through and through. This is what I consider to be a true single-worthy single. It has the high energy needed to keep the listeners attention, it has peaks and valleys that truly travel throughout the listeners emotions, and it does not overstay its welcome. Cold is easily one of Sevvven’s greatest songs.
Following in the impressive footsteps of Cold is Sevvven’s diary-like entry Where Do I Go. This song is kinda-djenty, and I am here all day for that sound. Where Do I Go feels very much like a song about accepting the inevitable while also channeling the raw emotion of being overwhelmed and lost, a feeling that many of us are all too familiar with. Sevvven really nailed their niche-market on this one, as it hits hard without having to lean too much on trying to be overly heavy, a formula that is raising many new bands out of obscurity in 2024.
Enter the Unknown is my favorite opening on the album. It’s just a vibe, you know? The type of opening that chokes you up and makes you feel nostalgic about life. Like an epic Nine Inch Nails instrumental, Enter the Unknown soon travels into While She Sleeps territory, and what we end up with is a song that feels very much like it belongs in a movie.
I have heard Mother before, and at the time it threw me into a great introspection. It is a song that deals with a topic so important to all of us, and the band clearly did their best to capture the emotional fragility found in the bond between a mother and child. The things that we must see, the pain that we must feel, and all on a level that only a mother and child can share. Mother feels very much like a song threatening to fall about, as if it only exists through sheer will alone, and even the vocals feel as if they were almost too much to accomplish without shedding a tear. This is a beautifully dark song that as much as it made me feel so much back then it continues to make me feel so much now.
At this point in the album, I am ready for something uplifting. I am down with the dramatic and introversion as much as the next guy, but you do have to come up for air every once in a while, and Paint the Sky provides that break in the clouds. This is not to say that Paint the Sky takes a new road from the others on the album, because it is very much a juxtaposition like many of Sevvven’s other songs, but this chorus is the most optimistic sounding so far. Still a heavy song though, Sevvven does not ease up on that fact.
Can we take a moment to appreciate that every song on Don’t Panic is a banger? This album has not halted its marching towards the title of one of 2024 greatest albums. My history as music devourer has prepared me for one song to fail me, and I was expecting this to be that song. Historically speaking, it should be…but this is not the case, at all. Shed Your Skin is bullet proof. Is it the best song on the album? Perhaps, but then I think the number one spot will change upon subsequent listens.
Wasteland is another high-octane track aimed at making sure that you pay attention to what Sevvven has to offer. Where most other songs focus firstly on the melody over the intensity, Wasteland is much more the type of song that In Flames would create, and a little less what Nothing More would, and because of this fact we end up with another signature Sevvven song that will help them to gain global exposure.
Well, here we are, at the final captivating song from one of the best albums to come out of 2024. Addicted is so heartfelt and single worthy, a true shining moment for a band that is criminally underrated. If I can make a comparison here, I would say that Addicted falls right in place with the likes of Three Days Grace and Bring Me the Horizon. It is a gentle, thoughtful, sincere, and introspective song that has been added to many of my personal daily playlists. Thank you for this one, Sevvven.
In conclusion, I am so very appreciative of what Sevvven has accomplished with their album, Don’t Panic. There wasn’t a moment that I would have changed on this flawless album, and I was looking for at least one song that would be skippable, however, the band clearly stayed true to their vision of creating an album that captures so much humanity that I am reminded that AI will not overtake true artists making authentic art.
This is one of the best albums of 2024, what more could you want me to say? Go listen and support this band today! The world should know about them. At least I think so.
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