BURDEN OF THE SKY-SEVENDUST SEASONS NYE TOUR

New Year's Eve and Sevendust have been synonymous for years, much like the classic pairing of peanut butter and jelly. If you're a devoted Sevendust old head, you know you can rely on the Dust to usher in the new year with a bang, and 2023 was no exception.

In 2023, the 20th anniversary of Sevendust's fourth album, "Seasons," was celebrated. Let's take a moment, fans—20 years! I can vividly recall listening to this album in my college room, meticulously planning my schedule to attend as many tour dates as possible. "Seasons" is brimming with melodic energy, featuring heavier tracks like "Enemy" and "Face to Face," as well as softer songs like "Honesty," "Skeleton Song," and my personal favorite, "Gone." What captivates me about Sevendust is that each album, while unmistakably Sevendust, undergoes a changing of the tide or a new evolution.

Enough of that tangent—imagine my excitement when 7D announced that this year's New Year's Eve run would showcase "Seasons." The last time I witnessed that run was on December 14th, 2004, in Portland, Maine. I remember being very cold, a time before VIP packages when fans eagerly waited by the tour bus post-show for the band to come out. Most of us were too nervous to talk to them, lucky to squeak out a word to say hi. Despite many changes, the core of Sevendust has remained the same. Their fans come first, whether you've been a fan since day one or are just discovering their music. We recently compared "Animosity" to "Truth Killer," revealing emotional ties to "Animosity" for me—songs like "Crucified," "Angels Son," "Beautiful," "Xmas Day," and "Shine." My memories are so deeply intertwined with those songs that it's hard to separate...

Separate me from the sin Is it not too late to try and start again? Can you separate all the darkness from my eyes?

Sorry, the lyrics entered my head as I wrote that, and I had to play it through. Singing "Shine" and "Crucified" with Vinnie, shedding tears when "Angels Son" comes on—it's hard for any 7D record to compete with that. "Truth Killer"...that album edges it.

So, not only was I excited for "Seasons," but the locations of some of those shows had me thinking we were about to experience some extra Sevendust magic. Bloomington, IL. The Castle Theater. A hunch said that the opener was going to be our friends, Burden of the Sky.

Scottie, Joshua and TJ
Bloomington, IL December 29th, 2023

I got my first taste of Burden of the Sky back in September 2022 at the Aura in Portland, Maine. These guys were on fire, supporting Sevendust during their Animosity run. Naturally, I did my usual pre-show homework, and it turned out Morgan was cooking up some musical magic with them. After a few spins of their album, the excitement to catch them live was real. And boy, did they exceed expectations! They blew us away both nights we caught their set. Scottie's vocals are like a rollercoaster—smooth melodic notes one moment, and a growl so deep the next, making you swear there's a demon in him. The show? Oh, it was more than incredible—it's the kind of thing you've got to witness in the flesh.

Scottie-Bloomington, IL 12/29

I scored a photo pass to snap shots of Burden of the Sky for both nights in Bloomington—a big shoutout to the Burden crew for letting me tag along. The crowd was buzzing with fans who knew exactly what Burden of the Sky was about to unleash. It was a mix of hometown supporters and Sevendust die-hards who had caught them multiple times on the Animosity run.

Kicking things off with "Same Old Page" from their 2017 release "Cinis Ad Cinis," Burden of the Sky set the stage on fire. The song is this perfect concoction of energetic, crunchy guitars, and Scottie's mix of melodic and gritty vocals—a recipe that perfectly set the tone for the rest of the set. And let me tell you, it was one hell of a show.

After kicking things off, they dove into "Burn. Breathe. Repeat" from the 2022 Burn-EP, hitting us with a playlist that included tracks like "Above Me" and "Horizons." These songs didn't just ride the energy wave; they cranked it up to eleven. Burden's knack for building up intensity in their choruses and then detonating it in the bridge is like a musical adrenaline shot. It's infectious, and you'd need serious willpower not to get swept up in it.

And let's talk about their spin on Ellie Goulding's "Lights." That song's already catchy, but Burden of the Sky threw in their own fire and intensity. Scottie's melodic voice colliding with that gritty edge takes the whole thing to another realm. It's become a fan favorite—so much so that even the freshest Burden of the Sky fan can belt it out in the crowd.

The track “Reunited” was also on the setlist. A song the has all the energetic undertones Ive already spoken about that make Burden, Burden. The song is filled with emotions that are relateable to so many. For me the lyrics “You were shattered a thousand times, that’s the proof that you’re gonna survive” hits home with anyone that has been through something hard in their lives. Which may be why appreciate this band so much. Joshua Appel and TJ Duckwiler compliment each other so well on the guitars.

Wrapping up their set with "The Flood," Burden of the Sky delivered a powerful finale. This song holds a poignant significance as it was penned in the aftermath of losing founding guitarist Bradford Shaw. The palpable heartache and sense of loss embedded in "The Flood" align with the band's signature style of building intense emotional landscapes, taking the listener on a profound journey.

Burden of the Sky boasts a lineup of exceptionally talented musicians, with Morgan Rose at the helm navigating them through the intricate maze of success. These guys have earned their stripes, grinding it out for the better part of a decade. All they need is that one breakthrough moment to explode onto the industry scene. And mark my words, I sense it's on the horizon. Burden is the total package—killer on albums, sensational on stage, and Scottie's vocals are a force to be reckoned with in person. This band is just getting started, and their future shines bright.