Sevendust guitarist, John Connolly returns to join Joshua Toomey for this week’s episode of Talk Toomey – The Metal Nexus Podcast for an in-depth interview. Starting out his musical journey as a drummer who was largely influenced by bands like KISS and Rush, Connolly details how it was Eddie Van Halen, Dimebag Darrell – and most of all, James Hetfield – who inspired him to become a guitarist instead. He says “[Hetfield] was the guy who kinda set the ball in motion for me.”
Connolly, who has been with Sevendust since day one, talks about the early days of the band and how they’ve managed to stay together for over two decades. He reminisces about the ups and downs of working under the TVT record label and even having a Sevendust infomercial. He assures Sevendust fans that the group’s upcoming album ‘All I See is War’ is some of the best stuff they’ve done so far and that vocalist, Lajon Witherspoon keeps getting better with age. Referring to his love/hate relationship with social media, Connolly comments, “Why do you think we called the damn album ‘All I see is War?’ It’s like the most fitting thing ever. ‘Cause everyone wants to get offended and pissed off about anything at the drop of a dime.”
Sevendust, who have been largely lumped into the nu-metal genre, have always been more of a rock band, according to Connolly. They have guitar solos and incorporate R&B influences into their unique sound, which Connolly says is going to be a bit heavier this time around. In addition, they talk tours, tattoos, bad nineties fashion, and more.
Click on the link below for the full podcast and hear all of Connolly’s interview with Toomey.
