One Without : Sweet Relief

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by Joe Mis
Staff Writer

One Without is a very deceptive name, as this band isn’t missing anything. If you like melodic metal with some gothic touches you are in for a treat. Like an engine firing on all cylinders, One Without is roaring to the front with the release of their second album entitled Sweet Relief.

Based in Gothenburg, this Swedish quintet delivers the goods. Huge songs with strong melodies, solid performances and dark and moody lyrics fill Sweet Relief to overflowing. Following up on their 2009 debut album Thoughts of a Secluded Mind, One Without has tightened their teamwork and further defined their unique sound.

Fronted by the voices of Catrin Feymark and Kenny Boufadene, One Without is the perfect example of “beauty and the beast” vocals. Feymark has a very calm and silky smooth voice. She generates a lot of power but never goes “operatic” or even into a real falsetto. She keeps everything under control and is always clear and understandable. As a counterpoint, Kenny Boufadene is a pure growler – although remarkably clear. His rough edges contrast nicely with Feymark’s smoothness, giving many of their harmonies an interesting sound, and contribute to an almost metalcore feel to some of their vocal lines. Boufadene is no slouch with the guitars either. His fretwork blends nicely with fellow guitarist Joonas Niskanen, giving the band a formidable one-two punch. They both lay down some solid, driving rhythms and do a good job on their solos. Joni Kaartinen (bass) and Oscar Nilsson (drums) provide the backbone to the music. Both seem to be exceptional players and the engineering of the album brings their contributions to the fore, but neither dominates the music in any way. Their teamwork is good, and they are an integral part of the One Without sound. The band works well together and handles the numerous tempo changes and varied song styles without missing a beat (pun intended).

From the amazing dual vocals of the opening track, “Hunger,” to the martial machinegun drumming and slick acoustic style guitars as part of the final song, “This Is War,” One Without covers all the bases and a variety of styles. It is easy to overlook the contributions of the non-vocalists, but each member of the band in an integral part of the music. Big guitar hooks, pounding rhythms and intense drumming segue nicely into soft and moody, almost atmospheric passages – providing plenty of “different” musical moments to keep the listener interested through the massive 17 tracks. The crisp yet warm engineering also makes Sweet Relief a treat for the ears. “Forget Your Pride” is a prime example of the One Without style – it features the full suite of counterpoints: male & female vocals, clean singing & growls, slow vocal lines over fast rhythms, varying tempos…

The big and very upbeat track “Persistent” is one of the true highlights of the disc and features some great philosophical moments like “We live for tomorrow by living for today as heroes…” along with fine technical performances by voices and instruments alike. The somewhat alternative sounding riffs of “Accusing Eyes” and “Souls Of Thousands” again illustrate the wide range of musical talent, and Feymark’s vocal skills are particularly apparent on the latter. “Sweet Relief” is a bit thrash/metalcore, while “Spit It Out” is a more conventional metal track. “Pretender” has a great prog metal groove and a great driving bass/drum line to go along with some awesome growls, while intense tempo changes and outstanding vocals fill “Burning With Your Hopes And Dreams” making it a truly great singers track.

Sweet Relief is a fine album, free from the sophomore jinx. Musically solid and diverse in style, One Without seems poised to make a major impact on the goth metal and prog metal genres. If you like the more Gothic side of metal or are looking for something a little different, by all means grab this release. The best part – One Without has made this album available as a free download at their web site: http://www.onewithout.com/, so what do you have to lose… Get it, and enjoy!

Genre: Gothic Metal

Band:
Kenny Boufadene (guitars, vocals)
Catrin Feymark (vocals)
Joni Kaartinen (bass)
Joonas Niskanen (guitars)
Oscar Nilsson (drums)

Track Listing:
1. Hunger
2. Forget Your Pride
3. Persistent
4. Catatonic
5. Accusing Eyes
6. Souls Of Thousands
7. Sweet Relief
8. Spit It Out
9. Nothing To You
10. Burned Once Again
11. Pretender
12. A Bright New Insight
13. Open Wound
14. Burning With Your Hopes And Dreams
15. Leaving Traces
16. Stained With Your Words
17. This Is War

Label: OW Records (Independent)

Website: www.onewithout.com

Hardrock Haven rating: 9/10