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One Desire: One Desire
One Desire Self-titled Debut 2017 CD Album Review

One Desire: One Desire

Melodic Hard Rock/AOR
5.0/5.0

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Frontiers Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 17.03.2017

Drummer Ossi Sivula, the creator of Finland's One Desire, said his aim for the new band was "to create music that could change the world." That's a bold statement, potentially putting you in the company of Elvis or The Beatles in popular music. But it took a few years to put it all together, with the threshold coming when guitarist Jimmy Westerlund (Negative, Sturm Und Drang, Pitbull etc.) came aboard. Songwriting advanced, then eventually to recording, with the addition of Andre Linman, also from Sturm und Drang, on vocals and Jonas Kuhlberg (Paul Di'Anno, Cain's Offering) on bass. The band drops their self-titled debut, One Desire, through Italy's Frontiers Music. (Score another win for them.)

One Desire Band Photo

One Desire

Changing the world aside, as a new band, One Desire has the potential and promise to be a reckoning force in melodic hard rock. To tweak that a bit more, their sound is firmly rooted in classic melodic hard rock, then spiced with a metal edge, and tied up neatly in arena-ready AOR wrapper. Constant readers have heard me say this before, but One Desire expertly molds and manipulate the essential musical ingredients in every song. The songs ring with melody and harmony, from vocals through the guitar lines. Not to slight the rhythm section, but these two elements really stand out. Linman sings clean, melodic, and strong, and then the vocal arrangements soar with addition of band background vocals. Westerlund's riffs are brisk and smart, adding their own hooks to each song, and his leads are blazing.

One Desire - Hurt


In the rhythm section, Sivula and Kohlberg are a tight fit, making the songs move with steady and fierce groove. Notable precision and presence are found with the drumming in Falling Apart, the crisp bass line within Straight Through The Heart, and within Buried Alive, nearly a power metal number, the bass and drums are raging and roaring.

To mention a few other choice songs, the AOR accessibility within Apologize, Turn Back Time, Whenever I'm Dreaming, and Hurt make for some tasty and catchy ear candy. Exploring some of those songs a bit further, Turn Back Time has a sweet acoustic breakdown in the center. And Hurt has this massive synth orchestration which gives it a large arena texture and boldness. For the anthemic ballad, This Is Where The Heartbreak Begins, the song turns largely, at the start, on acoustic guitar and vocals, and the vocal arrangement is soaring. Like a good rock anthem should, the song builds to a crescendo, with greater electric riffage and a bristling solo.

To use a well-worn, but accurate, cliche, One Desire's debut album is all killer with no filler. I liked everything about this album. I think you will too. Get it. Quite recommended.

One Desire - Apologize



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The Bottom Line

To use a well-worn, but accurate, cliche, One Desire's debut album is all killer with no filler. I liked everything about this album. I think you will too. Get it. Quite recommended.

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