Band: One Without
Title: Thoughts Of A Secluded Mind
Label: Lifeforce Records
Distribution: Suburban - Bertus
Release date: 28/09/2009
Review: CD

The pretty young Swedish band One Without seems to be a promising band, based on the reactions from the worldwide press. And I can understand why, even though my mind dwells into commercial spheres.
The band’s debut album brings a somewhat poppy form of ‘female fronted’ Metal, based on the (nice) melodic vocals of Catrin Feymark. Thoughts Of A Secluded Mind consists of catchy tracks that bring a rather mainstream mixture of Heavy Rock and melodic (Gothic) Metal. In a (strange) way the pretty diverse tracks remind me to bands as The Gathering and Evanescence, but One Without certainly aren’t just a copycat-version of any band. Catrin’s vocals (no fake soprano-vocals in this case, a sometimes pathetic curse that possesses so many ‘female fronted’ bands nowadays) go well with the rhythmic and emotional up-tempo guitar riffs and powerful rhythm section (bass + drums). Most songs do also contain a backing grunt and a Gothenburg-inspired drive, but One Without can’t be labelled as ‘Death’ or ‘Black’ Metal band. It might be evident that the sound has been caressed by a sweet cloud of innocent lust and a subtle smell of horny roses and edelweisses…

75/100

Ivan Tibos.