This album incorporates many electronic components yet still maintains a strong metal flavour. The guitars aren't the focus of the music, but they do play a significant role -- generally this role is restricted to the rhythm section but does get a chance at the foreground at times. Generally a sign of maturing musicianship, the album is a continuous give and take of various instruments; no one sound source maintains dominance for any extended length of time. The exception to this may be the drums and synth. They work together (in different ways) to form the backbone of the music. The drum patterns are subdued in order to give the keyboard a chance to really define the music.
Creating a strong emotional atmosphere, "One Second" could definitely be considered a mood altering drug. This is simply not a very complex album, but rather the simple structure and layering begets a harmonious melody that flows with little interruption. Rounded out by clean vocals, the emotional level is kept constant in the sense that while the songs will affect you differently, there is a solid sense of emotion that Paradise Lost is attempting to get across.
It won't appeal to those that like only traditional metal, the extreme, or the fast. "One Second" does I suppose contain an easy listening aspect, but is still alluring as a lighter metal album.
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