Review Summary: Catchy, exciting, and powerful, One-X is a strong album despite overexposure.
Three Days Grace was primed to be the next big thing upon the release of
One-X. The album gripped audiences like no other. Whether it be the catchy lyrics, Gontier’s signature vocals, or the aura of the music itself, fans seemingly flocked to the group.
One-X served to be the defining album not just for the band, but also for the post-grunge movement of the early 2000’s. Although post-grunge quickly became stale after a few years, Three Days Grace breathed life into the genre by providing simple yet effective songs.
One-X is a strong album that doesn’t have much room for filler. ‘It’s All Over’ kick starts the album and provides a glimpse into what the album will provide. The song displays the bands signature qualities, including Gontier’s rough vocals and Stock’s signature riffs. The album continues to power through the radio with ‘Pain,’ ‘Animal I Have Become,’ and ‘Never Too Late’ following each other. ‘On My Own’ slows the pace by introducing a more general song about a couple whose had enough of each other and broke up.
“Let’s start a riot, a riot…” rummages through the airwaves bringing a groove-centric track to the album. Although generic lyrics, ‘Riot’ is meant for a simple purpose of releasing frustration. ‘Get Out Alive’ brings some depth to the album by relaying an eerie narrative about escaping a bad situation. “This is my last time, she said, as she faded away. It’s hard to imagine, but one day you’ll end up like me…” crawls its way through your mind as ‘Get Out Alive’ warns listeners to run for their lives.
‘Let it Die’ is a lighter track that discusses the decay of a relationship that started well. ‘Let it Die’ toys with a more alternative sound, but isn’t very noteworthy. ‘Over and Over’ is a mellow track that balances the track list. Among the strongest tracks of the album, ‘Over and Over’ offers an interesting tale about addiction. The lyrics relay a story about constantly returning to ones addiction despite their efforts to avoid. ‘Time of Dying’ drives the pace with a harder song about finding the will to live. ‘Time of Dying’ breaks the chain of soft songs through a riff-heavy track and equally powerful vocals.
“Don’t know what’s going on, don’t know what went wrong. Feels like one-hundred years—I still can’t believe you’re gone,” introduces us to the story of ‘Gone Forever.’ Another stellar track delves the listener into an honest narrative about life after a strained relationship.
One-X draws to a close with the title track signaling the end. ‘One-X’ isn’t as strong as the previous songs on the album, but certainly reiterates the ongoing theme of powering through adversity.
One-X was a great album and certainly deserves its praise.
One-X is one of those guilty pleasure albums rock fans would find enjoyment with. Although overexposed during its time,
One-X has a good balance of substance and style to keep fans intrigued. There isn’t filler per-se, but there are tracks like ‘Let it Die,’ ‘Riot,’ and ‘One-X’ that feel stale. Barry Stock’s integration offered a good amount of riffs into the record. Although not the greatest guitarist in the world, Stock serves as a good guitarist for a band like Three Days Grace. Post-grunge is far from a demanding genre, so Stock easily fits into the mold. All in all,
One-X is well established as the best album from Three Days Grace. Practically any song could have been marketed as a single. Not many dull moments and decent variety gives this album a 3.5.
Standout Tracks
Never Too Late
Get Out Alive
Over and Over
