Forever at home in Sevendust

Sevendust with Saving Abel, Crocodile Rock Café, 520 Hamilton St., Allentown, Saturday, May 8: 7 p.m. Tickets: $22

Though he is nowhere near his Atlanta residence, Clint Lowery is home.

Speaking from Clifton Park, N.Y., Lowery, the lead guitarist of rhythmic heavy metal band Sevendust, is on a tour of club-sized venues with the band he rejoined in 2008 after departing in 2003 to start the group Dark New Day with his brother Corey.

"Sevendust feels like home. (Dark New Day) just never felt like a fit; just never got comfortable, musically," Lowery said. "Every night for me is like a homecoming. I hear 'welcome back' every night."

Headlining club shows helps Sevendust reach its core fans, he says. Next stop on the tour: Crocodile Rock in Allentown on Saturday.

"People there get what we do. We have had a lot of good times at Croc Rock. We also had an altercation with security there," Lowery said. "They have this giant stuffed bear (downstairs). We were sort of checking it out before the show, and they asked us to stop. It's great to come back and laugh about it."

Lowery and his band mates - vocalist Lajon Witherspoon, drummer Morgan Rose, guitarist John Connoly and bassist Vincent Hornsby - are touring in support of recent release "Cold Day Memory," which is the group's eighth studio album and first since the return of Lowery, who was replaced by Sonny Mayo in 2005. The album is the band's highest charting record, debuting at No. 12 on the Billboard Top 200 in late April.

On the new record, Sevendust returns to playing aggressive, yet sometimes counter-melodic, rock that showcases Lowery's guitar solos, Rose's thudding double-bass drums and the depth and range of Witherspoon’s distinct, soulful vocals.

"When the five of us are together, the chemistry translates into our music," Lowery said.

Sevendust maintains a devout fan base in part by allowing fans to share in its musical world: the release that touted the high debut of "Cold Day Memory" included reviews culled from fans on Facebook, Twitter and iTunes as opposed to blurbs from members of the media.

Additionally, Lowery, whose brother and former band mate, Corey, co-produced the new album with Chicago producer Johnny K, spearheaded the effort to record Sevendust's time in the studio while it made the record. Weekly videos were posted to YouTube for fans to see and react to, while other footage was compiled and edited into a DVD packaged with the CD version of "Cold Day Memory."

"We wanted people to go on the journey with us," Lowery said. "Some artists might feel that giving access takes away the mystery of it, but we're down-to-earth guys. We want our fans to be a part of it."

The band, which has existed in various lineups for more than 15 years, has been beset with financial woes since 2006 after disputes with a former advisor and former record label, WineDark Records, left them bankrupt. They are just now shedding those circumstances for a more sound future.

"Financial stress and strain will hinder you from being at peace," Lowery said. "We've taken accountability for our actions and decisions and are moving forward."

Sevendust is scheduled to play the massive, multi-day Rocklahoma music festival later this month. The band is also part of the Carnival of Madness Tour with Puddle of Mudd, Shinedown, Chevelle and 10 Years. The bill comes to many amphitheaters this summer.

"Bands have less stage time at those events, so we trim down the set list," Lowery said. "We make it very intense. We want to be the band that stands out rather than the band that blends in."

In addition to Dark New Day, Lowery toured with Korn in 2007 and recorded an EP of acoustic songs under the name Hello Demons Meet Skeletons in 2008. The release chronicled his recovery from addiction and personal issues.

"It was very important for me to put those songs out there to help me heal," Lowery, who donated the proceeds from the EP to a related charity, said.

The guitarist, whose parents named him after legendary actor Clint Eastwood, is an active social media user who can be followed on Twitter (@ClintElowery) where he provides an inside look at his experiences on the road with the band. One of his recent tweets may illustrate his feelings about his return:

"I'm happy. Small statement but when you really mean it, it's huge. I'm simply happy. Life's not perfect, but as close as it's ever been."