My first review was a very favorable one towards The Unisonic mini album Ignition, and like so many other fans of the Keeper of The Seven Keys - era Helloween fans, I could not hold back the excitement before listening to Ignition.
The full length debut of Unisonic delivers just what Ignition promised. A solid hard-rock record that is a great listen from start to finish.
The first two tracks are from Ignition, Unisonic & Souls Alive. Unisonic sounds no different than the version on Ignition and Souls Alive sounds amazing, and clearly better quality than the demo (that is not to say the demo of it did not sound great).
Never Too Late is relatively simple and a solid listen, but it is slightly weaker than the other songs. It is quite strong, and the bass adds most of the melody when the guitars don't.
I've Tried and Star Rider are early standouts on the album, as they could easily appeal to someone who wants to listen to something catchy or someone who loves to crank the stereo and feel each and every note move the floors.
Never Change Me continues on as a melodic anthem for those who deal with people trying to change them.
Renegade is by far the heaviest song on this album followed by King For A Day, which sounds like a mix of Kashmir by Led Zeppelin with Queen-esque vocals.
We Rise, like I've Tried and Star Rider, sounds like it could appeal to a mass audience.
The album closes with the ballad No One Ever Sees Me, which is a great ballad that is very atmospheric.
There are two bonus tracks, the European track is Over The Rainbow which is a decent track, and the Japanese bonus track The Morning After, which remains a personal favorite for me.
Most bands spend their entire lives trying to write one song that is catchy, memorable, but can last longer than a week or two in the average listener's mind. Unisonic have found a way to write that type of song 13 times over (including both bonus tracks), which makes this album something for everyone to check out and enjoy. Even if it's just one or two tracks that appeal to you, it is completely worth listening to. 9/10
Wednesday, 27 June 2012
Arch/Matheos - Sympathetic Resonance
This album marked a period in time that many early Fates Warning fans, much like myself, had dreamed of for a long time, a follow up to the 2002 E.P A Twist of Fate, and the first full length album to feature John Arch's soaring vocals since the 1986 release Awaken The Guardian. The lineup feature is Fates Warning's current lineup (less Ray Alder) which includes Bobby Jarzombek on drums and Frank Aresti on lead guitar.
The album starts off with Neurotically Wired, which starts off the album in a very dramatic way, but it does get a little overwhelming at times.
Midnight Serenade is the single from the album, excluding the five minute cut of Stained Glass Sky, and is certainly a very catchy/melodic song that still keeps a heavy edge to it.
Stained Glass Sky is the black sheep on the album, since it does not follow the same story line that the rest of the album does. Essentially, it is extremely heavy, proggy and is perhaps the most complete song on the album.
On The Fence is an odd song, since it sounds like an OSI song. This song is not as strong as as the previous three but it is still an enjoyable song none the less.
The same can be said for Any Given Day (Strangers Like Me), as it feels very repetitive. Though, considering that Arch had to write over the completed music, a daunting task by any means, it is much better than it would have been if someone else took the challenge.
Any Given Day is also an excellent song but is quite repetitive and, yet again, not as strong as the first half.
Incense & Myrrh end the album in a beautifully emotional way, simply put it is the perfect closer with the mix of acoustic guitar, piano transitioning to an intense solo to a just plain heavy bridge back to the acoustic guitar for the ending.
Because of some minor flaws and the fact that it is a Prog release, this album is only recommended to fans of the genre. But I would highly recommend that anyone and everyone take a listen to Midnight Serenade and Incense & Myrrh. 8.7/10
The album starts off with Neurotically Wired, which starts off the album in a very dramatic way, but it does get a little overwhelming at times.
Midnight Serenade is the single from the album, excluding the five minute cut of Stained Glass Sky, and is certainly a very catchy/melodic song that still keeps a heavy edge to it.
Stained Glass Sky is the black sheep on the album, since it does not follow the same story line that the rest of the album does. Essentially, it is extremely heavy, proggy and is perhaps the most complete song on the album.
On The Fence is an odd song, since it sounds like an OSI song. This song is not as strong as as the previous three but it is still an enjoyable song none the less.
The same can be said for Any Given Day (Strangers Like Me), as it feels very repetitive. Though, considering that Arch had to write over the completed music, a daunting task by any means, it is much better than it would have been if someone else took the challenge.
Any Given Day is also an excellent song but is quite repetitive and, yet again, not as strong as the first half.
Incense & Myrrh end the album in a beautifully emotional way, simply put it is the perfect closer with the mix of acoustic guitar, piano transitioning to an intense solo to a just plain heavy bridge back to the acoustic guitar for the ending.
Because of some minor flaws and the fact that it is a Prog release, this album is only recommended to fans of the genre. But I would highly recommend that anyone and everyone take a listen to Midnight Serenade and Incense & Myrrh. 8.7/10
Throw The Fight - What Doesn't Kill Us
When I first heard the Minneapolis based rock band Throw The Fight they had just released their second E.P The Fire Within, and announced that they were replacing the vocalist from that release. They eventually recorded and released a full-length debut, In Pursuit of Tomorrow, which was a strong release with a fair amount of variation from song to song.
Flash forward to the release of the strong demo of Save Me, the even better Bloodshot Eyes, a huge lineup change that saw three original members leave, another single and now their sophomore effort titled What Doesn't Kill Us.
The album starts off on its strongest foot, Bloodshot Eyes, but the new mix of the song makes it more pop and less rock. The original started with a solid Iron Maiden-esque harmony then kicked into gear with a typical (albeit solid) rhythm dominated section. The way the original release was done, it was much heavier and it didn't sound like the vocals were auto tuned, or at least not as much as the album cut. The album cut sounds much like every other pop-punk/rock band out there.Take a listen to the original Bloodshot Eyes (the top video) & the new version (bottom) and you'll see what I mean by "more pop, less rock".
The album then shifts to Not So Hollywood, which is an interesting song in the sense that it sounds like a stereotypical pop single but it ridicules the Hollywood lifestyle in a very well done way, without getting distasteful.
From there the album essentially gets weaker, with many dull attempts at the same old formula of mainstream success, which usually translates to songs that don't survive longer than a couple of weeks.
The biggest disappointment was the song Lifesaver, which is the album version of the demo titled Save Me. The demo was very melodic and quite heavy for the style, but the album cut sounds sped up and much more like an attempt to appease a record company than a the legitimate attempt at a memorable song that the demo was.
As far as the cover song I Just Died In Your Arms, the album cut is decent but ultimately the first live version on YouTube was much more enjoyable.
In general, the album is mediocre at best with nothing really memorable or special. The band seem to have lost their edge since replacing three of their original members. This album is really not something I would suggest for anyone but those who enjoy the simple, repetitive pop-rock/punk with the occasional screams and metalcore style breakdowns. 5/10
Sunday, 11 March 2012
Unisonic - Ignition review
The album's opener, Unisonic, sets the tempo as a fast-paced rocker that sounds like it could be a chart topper in the 1980s. The energy in this track is enough to raise the dead, or at least turn an average or terrible album into a solid one.
The next track, Sanctuary, continues with the radio-friendly hard rock approach and, just like the previous track, this one does not disappoint.
The third track, Souls Alive (Demo Version), is the heaviest of the album and, although it has the least catchy chorus of all the songs, is by far the strongest song on this album. The lead guitar is more melodic than the other tracks and still has a classic heavy metal feel to it. The clean section in the song acts as a great break that helps to build up to a beautiful solo and eventually the chorus.
The album ends with the live version of the classic I Want Out and, ignoring the voice crack and the fact that it seemed to have taken a bit for Kiske to get warmed up, the song sounded better than it has in years. For that matter, even with all that it still sounds great again.
All in all, Unisonic's Ignition is a solid listen that you will be singing along to after a couple listens, and definitely a cd that you'd want to have turned up to 11 while driving. The only thing that might keep anyone from enjoying it is if they don't enjoy Kiske's vocals. Other than that, it is a must listen for fans of Helloween, Gamma Ray, classic heavy metal and hard rock: 8.5/10.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)