Album review: Sevendust – One

Few bands this side of AC/DC can say they've stuck to their guns with more zeal than Sevendust. It's no surprise whatever to report that this 15th album is more of the same. And to be honest, it'd be slightly disappointing if it wasn’t. If, like Sevendust, you've hit on a formula that works for you, that has given you a decent following, and that still gets your own pulse racing, why on earth would you want to change things?

If you're of a similar mindset, then guess what? You're going to love One. After the title-track's lurching riffs and cathartic chorus, second track Unbreakable pretty much sums it all up. With a hook to rival Alter Bridge, there's enough guitar led aggression and studio shine to put this one right up there with the band's best. Just as capable, Is This The Real You? comes with a clever albeit slightly migraine-inducing video, and it's about as pure a distillation of what Sevendust do as can be imagined. Morgan Rose's rippling drums are the ground on which snakey, jabbing riffs grow, and it's topped off by a soulful but gutsy vocal from Lajon Witherspoon.

See also the slower, chuggier Bright Side and the comparatively ascendent We Won, typically big rock moments with heavily slung guitars, plus the precise amount of clarity mixed into the aggression. Largely thanks to Lajon, whose assured and characterful tone makes him a genuinely under-appreciated frontman, all come with decent hooks to get heads nodding in solidarity.

Yes, it's easy to be cynical about bands like Sevendust who essentially offer different takes on the same thing. But when it's this consistent, this unstoppable, it does make you step back and salute the hard-working progenitors, in this case a quintet that have mastered their art. 'Try and look at the bright side,' they urge us. Okay, we will.

Verdict: 3/5

For fans of: Daughtry, Papa Roach, Killswitch Engage

One is released on May 1 via Napalm.