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One Without is yet another newly signed female fronted Gothic Metal act to come out of Sweden, but on a positive note, this isn't the most generic and cliche sounding release of it's kind. Luckily, Thoughts of a Secluded Mind is a very catchy and strong release that stands out against the plethora of generic music of this style that will leave the listener quite happy, yet still begging for a little more to have been done with the release. While this release is a powerful debut for One Without, it coould have been just a little better with a little more effort, and could definitely use some variety. Thoughts of a Secluded Mind actually came out of nowhere for many people and slipped under a lot of Metal radars, which is a serious shame as this album, while not the most original, has it's own authentic bite to it that makes it stand out and demand recognition, which it does deserve. Everything about this album is very well done, from the music to including a higher, rhaspier backing scream that sounds like an homage to Angela Gosslow of Arch Enemy fame at key moments, such as during a part of a song that builds up, or backing up the vocalist during the chorus, such as in the song "Seperation". As soon as "Farewell" kicks in, it'll grab the listener in with beautiful female lead vocals and music that will remind listeners of a blend between Lullacry and even later Beseech, with keyboards that are only utilized during the moments where it's needed, and not abused to the point where they completely take over the album, adding a nice extra layer to the music at times to keep it from growing boring. Much of the album seems to flow through a standard pattern of mid-tempo songs with nothing going really too fast. Musically the album seems like it's bringing in a bit of a Rock feel to it, which is fine and works well with the overall presentation and clear, almost glamorous through cost recording quality. Essentially, what you hear on the first song, "Farewell", is basically what you will hear through the entire album with very few exceptions. There is a small part during "Ignorance" where the music really slows down and changes it's pace, but it unfortunately sounds horrible and feels tacked on by the band in an effort to change things up. "Distance Between" is a song that does bring a little variety to the music, starting off slow but goes directly back to the same heavier sound that every song's chorus has had on this album without fail, and a guitar solo that clenches the fact that this is a Gothic Metal version of a Rock Ballad. And, how can we forget the song "Reachable Existence", which actually comes off as a song you would expect mainstream singer/songwriter Avril Lavigne to have in the background at the start of the track with, again, the same kind of chorus that adorns every song on here. "Chained" is essentially the album's saving grace, having some unique guitars throughout the song, giving the song a much different sound all together, but still follows the same pattern as every single song on the CD. Musically, that's about all that really breaks up the music on the album, and it starts to get monotonous fast. But, that's not all. On top of that, the female singing vocals can get a little bland after a while, sticking mostly to the same limited vocal range. During some songs, such as on "Seperation" and "Withered Serenade", the vocalist can even sound bored with performing herself, which really hurts against the energetic Rock music being performed. "Distance Between" is a track that just begs for a little more emotion and a higher vocal range, but sadly, it is never delivered. Even some of the higher pitched rhaspy screams that once in a while appear in the background would have been nice at some points, especially during what would have been the rather "epic" climactic ending to the song that leaves you honestly expecting them to show. A little more focus on the vocal performance, as well as where the placement of those vocals would go, especially since there's two vocal styles provided on this release in the first place, would have been a huge bonus for this release. "Once in Silence" is another track where the vocals often sound bland, and a little more emphasis would have been nice, but the rhaspier vocals are added and slightly make up for it. Basically, Thoughts of a Secluded Mind is an album that could have been something big, but instead becomes an album you will listen to a few times and probably grow tired of rather quickly. This is a band that has potential, there is no denying that, and this album shows it off perfectly, but in order for this band to stay afloat in the whole female fronted Gothic Metal scene, like they do with this release, they need to focus on the structuring of their songs and not making each one work exactly the same. If you happen a chance to check this album out, it's honestly worth at least one spin, as the music here is still enjoyable for a little while and good enough to have you come back at a later date when it's collected a good amount of dust. Just make sure to keep your expectations a bit low, and don't really expect any jaw dropping surprises. |
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