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Sweet & Lynch: Unified

Melodic Hard Rock/Metal

3.5/5.0

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Frontiers Music
Review: Craig Hartranft
Added: 01.11.2017

It worked once, two years ago, why not give it another go. Unified reunites vocalist Michael Sweet (Stryper) with guitarist George Lynch (Lynch Mob, KXM, Dokken). The unlikely pair deliver another album of hard rocking songs that feature Sweet's strong vocals and Lynch's eclectic and creative guitar lines.

Sweet & Lynch

While I've never listened to much Lynch Mob, I do know the Stryper sound. With this duo, you can cast the Stryper comparisons aside. Sweet & Lynch are heavier, even darker, more urban and gritty, and with a blues undercurrent.

Some songs are simply heavy, thundering, metal rockers like Promised Land, Afterlife, Make Your Mark, where Sweet goes full-tilt screamo, or Find Your Way, which grooves low and slow, with a blues feel. Alternatively, a song like Walk moves with groove and shuffle, a large vocal arrangement, and a prominent bluesy segue after the midpoint. Even better, you can't escape the hard blues guitar found within the slow burning Tried & True, something of a ballad. Then there's a song like Better Man. Also a bit slow grooving, a deep bottom end is combined with sharp guitar lines and Sweet's assertive and passionate voice for a heavy rock anthem. What you don't find here is much AOR sweetness, that timbre that offers some light(ness) from brighter vocal or guitar harmony. Mostly, Unified is an album of assertive and intense, yet melodic, heavy rock powered by Sweet's assertive vocals and Lynch's intense guitar presence. While not entirely pummeling, this isn't Stryper's Reach Out or Sing-A-Long Song either. It's something different.

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

Unified is an album of assertive and intense, yet melodic, heavy rock powered by Sweet's assertive vocals and Lynch's intense guitar presence. While not entirely pummeling, this isn't Reach Out or Sing-A-Long Song either.

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