Sevendust // One // Album Review

So, unbelievably, this is my very first venture into a Sevendust album, never mind reviewing one. #disgrace 

But when I was a pretty young thing, I had blinkers on, and I liked what I liked, and I didn’t really deviate from that. Also, when I was a young thing, access to music was a totally different affair. Vinyl was a thing for sure, but CDs were king and expensive. Especially metal CDs, you’d honestly be looking at £15-20 at the till, and back then that was a lot of money. So when you put your hand in your pocket to purchase a new CD, you made a very conscious choice about it. 

Today, we have everything at our fingertips; we can stream to our heart’s content for half the price of a CD per month. Bad for artists, but great for music consumers. But has that helped us? Personally, I feel we’re less connected to the artists now, less invested, making the product more disposable. So, today I will right a wrong, take a step back, delve into Sevendust, and try to understand why this band is so highly regarded by so many. 

Now, I did catch these guys live when they supported Alter Bridge in Dublin earlier this year, but that was a very short and sweet introduction, and I was in the pit trying to shoot the band, so I was kinda distracted. 

Check out our Live Review HERE:

Today, however, they have my full attention, and I pinky swear I’ll be a good boy and take those blinkers off. 

The album kicks off with its self-titled track, and it immediately grabs your attention with its stabbing riffage and Lajon Witherspoon’s modulated vocals with heavy delay adding a tasty vibe to his superb delivery. Right away, I know I’ve fucked up and have been missing out on a band that is right up my street. Goddam you, Craig David! ‘Unbreakable’ kicks in, and it’s like a ‘wow’ moment as they kick the bloody doors off with its glorious introduction and soaring vocal harmonies. The riffage, the drum work, and gnarly guitar patterns in the background just create this huge-sounding sonic tapestry that is impossible to ignore. 

One thing you take away from listening to Sevendust is their unique approach to songwriting. The creative, almost jarring rhythmic patterns stand out against the vocals laid down by Lajon, creating a vibe that demands you give their music your full attention to appreciate the subtle nuances tossed in at will by the band members as they flex their musical muscles to create a truly individual sound. 

Track by track, you get dragged deeper into their thought process in the creation of the band’s signature sound, dabbles of electronica adding flavours here and there that you weren’t quite ready for, building on the ambience and creating a wall of distortion for you to crash against at will. The album, I have to say, is highly addictive, even on first spin. You know a mile away that this band is quality through and through; the songwriting is immediately engaging, if not dangerously addictive. You can run, but you can’t hide. Sevendust will gobble you up track by track; it is a real joy to behold. I can see myself going down a Sevendust rabbit hole now, going over their back catalogue to understand what I have been missing out on. Their sound is gigantic, frantic, and beautifully composed all at once, and Lajon’s vocal delivery is sublime; his approach to phrasing against the backdrop of their brutality is just mesmerising. 

It creates a unique, wholesome sound, and his rich, warm tone is a thing of beauty. Marry that against the creativity of a band of stellar musicians in Clint Lowry, John Connolly, Vinny Hornsby and Morgan Rose, you have something pretty special capable of taking any track over the edge at a whim. I guess I didn’t really know what I was in for when I hit that play button, but sweet baby Jesus, I am glad I did. Even more so, these cats have recently announced a return to our shores later this year, when I can properly delve into their back catalogue and appreciate it live, up close and personal, that way it should be. 

For their Army of fans, ‘One’ will be no surprise; for me, it was a mind-blowing experience and finally an opportunity to right a wrong. An album of exceptional quality, from start to finish, there isn’t a weak track on the album, and it’ll be on repeat at Casa Rock ’N’ Load for a while. 

One arrives on May 1st courtesy of Napalm Records. 

Pre-order your copy HERE:

ONE track-listing: 1) One 2) Unbreakable 3) Is This The Real You 4) Threshold 5) We Won 6) Construct 7) Bright Side 8) The Drop 9) Blood Price 10) Misdirection

SEVENDUST 2026 Europe & UK Tour Dates November 25th – Hamburg, GER November 26th – Cologne, GER November 27th – Munich, GER November 29th – Tilburg, NL November 30th – Paris, FRA December 2nd – Norwich, UK December 3rd – Wolverhampton, UK December 6th – Newcastle, UK December 7th – Glasgow, SCO December 8th – Belfast, N.I. December 9th – Dublin, IRE December 11th – Bristol, UK December 12th – Southampton, UK December 13th – Nottingham, UK December 14th – Manchester, UK December 15th – London, UK FIND SEVENDUST ONLINE