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Unshine: Dark Half Rising

Melodic Gothic Rock/Metal

3.5/5.0

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Massacre Records
by Craig Hartranft,  08.16.2013

After an absence from the studio for eight years Unshine returns with their third album, Dark Half Rising, now with Massacre Records. This Finnish band still delivers melodic gothic rock and metal, mixing in symphonic, folk, and power metal flavors.

Unshine: in a fog.

But you wouldn't be sure this was a metal album when listening to the first song, Nadjas Wailing About Coming of the Frost. (There other songs with long curious titles.) This song is essentially a short folk song with vocalist Susanna Vesilahti singing and whispering accompanied by an acoustic guitar. The metal kicks in with the following The Oath to Wilderness of Unredeemed Nature, basically a straight mix of symphonic and power metal. And that's the basic model. It can get a bit more bombastic with The Blood of Ardennes or touched with more of the folk current as with Idyl.

Another song, Spellbinder, leans more to rock than heavy metal thanks to it's rock groove and catchy refrain. However, the big number here is Ikuinen Taistelu, a nearly 13 minute epic mixing many of the aforementioned elements; it appears to be sung in Finnish.

But don't take my word for it. Listening to this entire album, Vesilahti could be singing the whole album in Finnish for all I know. Her voice, while melodic, alluring, and often lilting like a sparrow, is not that strong or distinct enough in elucidation to rise above the music. Yet it sounds good making for a good fit for the music. If your looking for another female-fronted metal band that blends symphonic, folk, and power metal elements for their gothic metal, Unshine's Dark Half Rising will probably please you.

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

If your looking for another female-fronted metal band that blends symphonic, folk, and power metal elements for their gothic metal, Unshine's Dark Half Rising will probably please you.

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