Man, has it been a while since I thought about Sevendust. They used to be one of those bands that were all over my old MP3 players in school. I’ve only kept up with them from afar over the last decade or so. Like, whenever they put out a new single, I would give it a listen and throw it on a YouTube Music playlist. However, when they started putting out new music for this upcoming 2026 album, One, I felt a little different about this one. I wasn’t sure what drew me to this new album, whereas past albums had failed. Now that I’ve had a chance to listen to this new album in full, I think I might have an answer for that question. This new record is their fifteenth studio album and, once again, is produced by Michael “Elvis” Baskette, a staple of this sound for a while now, having worked with acts such as Alter Bridge and Mammoth. The Atlanta rock titans really came out of the gates swinging with this one.
The album opens with the title track “One”, and it’s mostly what you would normally expect from Sevendust. Big, bold-sounding riffs, with aggressively punchy guitars. A meaty bass tone that keeps that groove moving on so well. Complex drum rhythms that take inspiration from muddy water blues, but with the banging sound of nu-metal. Then, of course, the vocals act as somewhat of a tender meat grinder. Soulful with beautiful harmonies, but with an aggression and coarseness that blends well with the heavy tones of the instrumentation. The thing that I admire about the production and arrangement is how you can easily distinguish each instrument, the scratch of the guitars, the hum of the bass, and the crash of the drums. Each part is so well performed. There’s a beauty in the mix. When all of those parts come together in an almighty crescendo in the choruses, it all hits you at once. For example, on tracks like “Is This The Real You”. Where the band start to incorporate elements of southern rock and groove metal. The song takes you on a real ride through the band's capabilities, and the production is the conduit that takes you through it.
Another thing that I think caught my attention well about this album is the way it’s constructed. Not just on a production and arrangement level, but on a songwriting level. The way songs are constructed and built up gave me that rush of heavy rock with that slight twinge of heavy metal. “Threshold” is one of those songs that feels like it was plucked right out of 2004. The flow and harsh twists that this song takes ask of you as a listener to let it take you where it needs to go. Another track that is a pure standout to me is “Blood Price”. A spectacular piece that goes from heavy breakdowns and growled vocals to the soulful high of the chorus. This song feels like it’s going to be one of those that will kill live on stage. I can just imagine the crowd crushing it in the mosh pit, then you have those chorus moments for the crowd to sing along with, coupled with the elation of the guitar solo.
The album is superbly constructed. I know in the day and age of streaming services, the art of ordering your album in any sort of order is lost. However, I think this is an album you’ll want to listen to in album order. Opening on the heavy and crushing “One”, the centrepiece being the earned climb of “We Won” and ending on the victory cry of “Misdirection”. Each step of listening to this album felt earned. As soon as the closing fades out, it made me want to start the album over from the beginning.
I think some people might think this is a muddy-sounding record, or that it’s going for that standard Sevendust sound (which I don’t hear as a bad thing). I get the common complaint of music like this. I think for Sevendust, this is the sound of a band that found its audience a long time ago and knows how to keep them coming back for more. Though I don’t think that there’s anything here for unfamiliar people. I think songs like “Unbreakable” would be a track I could happily recommend to someone who’s never listened to them or maybe even a lapsed fan, like myself. I also think “Construct” would be an easy choice to recommend to someone who likes their heavy with a good dose of melody. For people who may think that this particular sound is too coarse or muddy, I feel that this album does its best to find a balance between sing-along quality melody and heavy riffs to headbang to.
So, as a lapsed fan of Sevendust, what was it about this album that brought a smile to my face? It was a few things. The welcoming first single “Is This The Real You”, that let me know that Sevendust were going for that emotional gut-punch. The heavy breakdowns of “Blood Price”. The shining production made the band sound fantastic. The album is this fantastic melting pot of riffs, grooves and hooks that kept me locked in as a listener.
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