I LOVE Sevendust (as you mentioned in your first post). I saw them back in February and they totally kiced @ss!
Another suggestion for an 80s metal band. . . . . Queensryche. They are from the Seattle area and have about 10 albums/cd's out. They were on the MTV movie awards in 1991 for their song "Silent Lucidity" -- it won the viewers choice award that year.
One of their more "thoughtful" albums came out in 1988 and it was called "Operation Mindcrime". It is a "conceptual" album -- meaning it tells a story from the first song to the last one (there are about 15 tracks). The singer, Geoff Tate, his voice is awesome (kinda reminds me of Bruce Dickenson's voice from Iron Maiden). Check Queensryche out -- you will not be disappointed.
Purza