ONE WITHOUT

Aren't we stretching the definition of the "Gothenburg sound" past its natural limits here? Granted, it is stated that Gothenburg's ONE WITHOUT take the sound and "implement it into a fusion of metal, rock and pop, making the sound incomparable and fresh". It still seems like sacrilege to me, but I suppose that the there are slight elements of it heard in the driving (and largely unchanging) riffs and the occasional backing screams. But so what? Country and Western music utilizes guitars, yet we don't call it heavy metal implemented into a fusion of banjos, 10-gallon hats, and odes to the Confederacy. The point is that the music on "Thoughts of a Secluded Mind" is crafted with heavy riffing and propulsive, usually mid-tempo, rhythms and what amounts to the pop rock vocals of Catrin Feymark. The end result is a far too long (53 minutes) collection of mostly middling songs that become nearly interchangeable.

Individual tastes will be at the epicenter of debate over this one, and that is just fine and dandy. It is however hard to argue the fact that even though a handful of tracks sport robust grooves and catchy choruses (especially opener "Farewell") damn near an hour's worth of what amounts to slight twists on the same theme is unnecessary overkill. Everything is very well produced, Feymark's vocals are fluid and marginally enchanting (one of the aspects that remind of IN THIS MOMENT),and there are no songs that just plain stink. In other words, there is nothing that will send most fair minded people running to the stereo to stab at the "stop" button with a butter knife.

The problem is that once you have heard the first several songs, you have heard the entire album. Those making a feeble attempt to dissect the finer differentiating points of each composition can save it for a frustrated rant on the fan club forum. That the disc's opening track is its best does not help make the ride any more exhilarating and only sets up the listener for disappointment. In short, "Thoughts of a Secluded Mind" neither deserves a complete thrashing, nor is there much to write home about. What is left is a middle course that is arguably more forgettable than points on either end of the spectrum.