Unisonic is the super group featuring
ex-Helloween members Michael Kiske and Kai Hansen, alongside a group of equally
seasoned and experienced musicians. Apart from Kiske’s involvement with
Avantasia and other guest appearances, this project appears to be as close to a
return to metal as he is willing to get. The first album was a mixed bag,
largely due to a distinctive split between metal and non-metal songs. On their new album, Unisonic again gave us a taste with an EP,
and it was an unexpected surprise. The title track of that EP, “For The
Kingdom”, which also appears on this album, is essentially “Eagle Fly Free Pt.
2”. It is a fast, upbeat track that is completely reminiscent of Helloween. For
that reason, Unisonic’s second album looked quite promising. Unfortunately,
that track was a bit deceiving of the sound of the album.
“Light of Dawn” once again features a very
obvious mix of heavier metal songs and more ballad/hard rock-oriented material.
Each sound comprises about half of the album, and as was the case last time,
the metal songs are far superior to the non-metal tracks. Even the metal songs,
however, tend to be relatively standard and unexciting. “Find Shelter” for
example, can be pretty speedy in the chorus, with the use of double bass
drumming and Kiske’s melodic vocals, but its chorus isn’t anything special. The
rest of the song is likewise not too interesting, and it sort of leaves you
scratching your head, wondering how two of the greatest musicians ever could
create something so uninspired. These metal tracks take a turn for the better
once “Exceptional” comes in. This song is almost like a modern Edguy track. It
is built around its predictably catchy chorus, showing off the incredible vocal
talents of Michael Kiske. Even though the song begins in a similar manner to the tracks before it, it is immediately clear how superior this song will be due to Kiske's vocal melodies.
As mentioned before, the highlight of the album is "For The Kingdom", but there is also another old-school power metal track: "Your Time Has Come". Both songs are built around fast-paced riffs, melodic guitar work, soaring vocals, and catchy choruses. Much like what happened on "Exceptional", the second that both of these tracks begin, you immediately know your in for something better than the rest of the experience has been. "For The Kingdom" gets a bit tamer in the verses, but it is another opportunity for Kiske to show off his still perfect singing abilities. "Your Time Has Come" is even faster and features better guitar work than "For The Kingdom". This song shows the band at their absolute best, and reveals just how much potential they still have.
Many of the other tracks are just
disappointing. “You And I” is a ballad (only two tracks into the album!) that
is par for the course for power metal. Unfortunately it lacks the emotional
touch of a classic like “A Tale That Wasn’t Right”. Even a track like “When The
Deed Is Done”, which has some cool harmonized guitars, is ultimately quite
plodding by the end of the song. The solo in the song features some flashy
guitar work, but it is ultimately forgotten as it is surrounded by sub-standard
songwriting. When “Not Gonna Take Anymore” comes in, the act is starting to get
a bit tired. Michael Kiske will make absolutely anything sound good because of
how strong his voice still is, but at a certain point, the novelty of his
voice begins to wear off, simply because the songwriting continues to bore. Even when they give you an enjoyable track like "Exceptional", the band immediately returns to a ballad on the very next track! Some of the later tracks on the album are more reminiscent of the semi-enjoyable hard rock that was present on the debut, but it's just frustrating to see a band that still has the ability to make brilliant music water down their sound.
Perhaps it is unfair to compare this band
to Helloween, or to say that only the metal songs here are good. After all,
these guys are over 20 years removed from Helloween, and people are obviously
free to enjoy music beyond metal. The sad reality, however, is that these
musicians are both famous for their work in power metal, and while they’re free
to create any music they’d like together, the main reason why so many people
listen to Unisonic is to try to recapture the glory that the two Keepers
records delivered. I said in my review of the first Unisonic album that you can’t
expect them to put out a Helloween album, but “Light of Dawn” is a complete
step backwards from the debut record, and it is even further from the sound we
know and love, despite having a couple of tracks that bring back that sound. There are a few great songs here, and it is worth seeking out the release for those songs alone, but it is hard to recommend sitting through the entire album.
Highlights
"Exceptional"
"For The Kingdom"
"Your Time Has Come"
Final Rating
3.25/5 or 65%.
No comments:
Post a Comment