The lead single from the disc, Animal I Have Become, certainly bodes well for the entire disc. The track has a driving beat filled with solid rock vocals and angry lyrics that can truly describe any person out there from time to time (So what if you can see the darkest side of me?/No one will ever change this animal I have become). The tracks sets a great pace for the rest of the disc.
One-X is pretty accurately represented by Animal I Have Become. Tracks like It's All Over, Never Too Late and continue with the same mix of vocals, music and lyrics. Their is anger and angst throughout the disc. The (somewhat) slower tracks also help to give the vocals a little more credit. Tracks like the mid-tempo Get Out Alive show that, yes, singing is actually being done. And Let It Die also gives recognition to the mid-tempo tracks on the disc. The vocals are strong, the lyrics are solid, and the music is driving the song along. Over And Over and the title track, One-X, both showcase some of the disc's best lyrics. One-X, in fact, takes a step aside from the angst and anger and brings a positive spin on things (We are the ones/We get knocked down/We get back up/And stand above the crowd/We are one).
The disc does have a few flaws. Pain is a rather boring track all-around. The music is a bit off compared to the rest of the disc, the vocals are decent but not spectacular, and the lyrics are just average. Aside from that, only minor imperfections remain; one or two lyrics that seem off, a guitar riff there that maybe doesn't need to be. Very minor things that really don't take anything away from the disc (And, for most of the listening public won't even be considered flaws).
Overall, One-X grows on what was first shown on Three Days Grace. Barring one song, this disc is a great work of rock art. Anger, angst and confusion are mixed well with a little hope and solidarity. It is this kind of mixture that can create a truly great disc. Being angry all the time only makes for a depressing album. Being obliviously happy on every track makes a disc unrelatable to real life. While One-X certainly leans more toward the anger side of things, that extra bit of postivity truly makes the disc a great effort.