Dangerdog Music Reviews :: © 1999 - 2024 Craig S Hartranft :: All Rights Reserved
No part of this this website, including design and music reviews,
may be reproduced in any form or by any means without
the prior written permission of the publisher.
- New Music Reviews
- |
- Archives
- |
- News
- |
- Submissions
- |
- About
- |
- |
New Music Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal, AOR, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal
Recent Reviews
October 2024
- Frost*: Life In The Wires
- Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
- Fans Of The Dark: Video
- Radioactive (Tommy Denander): Reset
- House Of Lords: Full Tilt Overdrive
- Cleanbreak: We Are The Fire
September 2024
- Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
- Serious Black: Rise Of Akhenaton
- Eclipse: Megalomanium II
- SteelCity: Reverence
- Hydra: ReHydrated
- Heartwind: III
- Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
- Find Me: Nightbound
- The Nail: The Nail
- Timeless Fairytale: A Story To Tell
- Stryper: When We Were Kings
- Phil Mogg: Moggs Motel
- Pure Reason Revolution: Coming Up To Consciousness
- Jordan Rudess: Permission To Fly
August 2024
- Siege Perilous: Creation's Call EP
- Paralydium: Universe Calls
- Mike Tramp: Songs Of White Lion Vol. II
- Bite The Bullet: Looking For Paradise
- All For Metal: Gods Of Metal (Year Of The Dragon)
- Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
- Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 2
July 2024
- Ironflame: Kingdom Torn Asunder
- Spektra: Hypnotized
- (Michael) Palace: Reckless Heart
- Mr. Big: Ten
- Dark Mile: Dark Mile
June 2024
- Kaipa: Sommargryningsljus
- Sunbomb: Light Up The Sky
- Seven Spires: A Fortress Called Home
- Atlantic: Another World
- Xeneris: Eternal Rising
- New Horizon: Conquerors
- Issa: Another World
May 2024
- Rhapsody Of Fire: Challenge The Wind
- Cloven Hoof: Heathen Cross
- Perseus: Into The Silence
- Yes: Talk (1994/2024) Reissue
- Marty Friedman: Drama
- Demon: Invincible
- The Treatment: Wake Up The Neighbourhood
- The Tangent: To Follow Polaris
- Riot V: Mean Streets
- Anette Olzon: Rapture
- FM: Old Habits Die Hard
The Unity: The Unity
The Unity: The Unity
Melodic Heavy Metal
4.0/5.0
Website
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
SPV/Steamhammer Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 03.05.2017
Call it some melodic metal math. What do you get when you merge some band members from Gamma Ray with those from Love.Might.Kill.? The Unity, a new band created by Gamma Ray members Michael Ehre (drums) and Henjo Richter (guitar). They band is completed with members from Love.Might.Kill., another of Ehre's projects: vocalist Gianba Manenti, guitarist Stef E, bassist Jogi Sweers and keyboardist Sascha Onnen.
The Unity
As for The Unity sound, think less Gamma Ray power metal and more Love.Might.Kill.'s melodic heavy metal with a hard rock groove. Most every song her bristles with bold and brisk riffage and a tight rhythm section delivering both heaviness and brisk pacing. Then those same songs are salted with powerful guitar solos. Rise And Fall, God Of Temptation, and Never forget easily demonstrate that trio of elements.
A keyboard layer is present, tempering and accenting the arrangements with synth orchestration. Also, at times, the keyboards lead or introduce a song as with Never Forget, Firesign, Killer Instinct, and the piano framed by orchestration in Always Just You, one of the best songs here.
After these things, the compositions are wrapped in melody and harmony, from the guitar lines to the vocal arrangements, and that aforementioned hard rock groove. When that latter element rises from the mix, you get the killer song No More Lies, easily my favorite song of the album. Finally, and to be honest, I'm not a huge fan of Gianba Manenti's vocal style. To me he sounded everything from raspy to grizzly to screamo across the album. But there were exceptions in the two favorite songs mentioned earlier, No More Lies and Always Just You.
With little doubt, The Unity's debut album is a strong start for the band. Exceptional musicianship combined with equally powerful songwriting results in a large platter of bristling and brisk melodic heavy metal. Recommended.
Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.
The Bottom Line
With little doubt, The Unity's debut album is a strong start for the band. Exceptional musicianship combined with equally powerful songwriting results in a large platter of bristling and brisk melodic heavy metal. Recommended.
Find A Review
Alphabetical Index
New & Notable
By far, Sweden's Eclipse is one of my favorite bands. Always consistent and always entertaining, Eclipse has been delivering their 21st century version of melodic metal rock since songwriter, producer ... [ Read More ]