Band:	Chemia
Album:	The One Inside
Style:	Hard rock
Release date:	September 17, 2013
A review by:	R Lewis

01. Ego
02. Bondage Of Love
03. B 52
04. Hero
05. Fuckshack
06. Everlasting Light
07. Generation Zero
08. Stalker
09. Happy Ending
10. Walked Away
11. Fire
12. Sweet
13. Letter [bonus]

Chemia are just like your hometown band, that one that plays in that pub down the street every Saturday night. Catchy, easy-listening and not so heavy, they're the stereotype of the band you'd want as a background while enjoying a beer with friends.

Led by the charismatic voice of Łukasz Drapała, multi-layered and emotional, The One Inside introduces itself as a dynamic and energetic hard rock album, despite being maybe a little too light for a metal audience. Though the many ballads could annoy some, there are many variations in the release, that goes flawlessly from dramatic and slow tracks such as "Hero" to happy-go-lucky and adrenaline-filled rides like "Fuckshack", managing to keep the attention level high enough.

Chemia's sound, a midway between the dark rock a la Alter Bridge and the easier of the hundreds of modern radio rock bands, inherits a lot from the post-grunge era, as the raw guitars manage to have impact without needing super technical solos - sometimes without needing solos at all. However, the band does not fear to explore foreign territory, as traces of blues and prog infiltrate in the album, rescuing it from being a merely monothematic release.

What I can't help to notice, however, is that The One Inside seems inevitably pre-packed and delivered to the ears. There's nothing new and there's very little of personal uniqueness in the album, that sometimes also sounds too predictable, due to its radio-friendly nature. The only thing that adds depth to an otherwise too obvious product is the use of keys, both in the background and while leading the tracks.

Some will despise The One Inside due to its commercial nature, while others will truly appreciate it for its accessibility and for its being a more than valid option, if you're looking for something lighter and easier than your usual.

Chemia are just like your hometown band. Just, you know, better.