Unisonic
Unisonic

For the many kids who grew up from the late '80s onwards on 'bread and Keepers', the greatest dream had always been, since the now distant 1993, to witness one day the return of Michael Kiske to that genre that had almost made him a god for many metal heads and not only; and to hear him sing at least on stage the great classics composed with the pumpkins of Hamburg, from 'Future World' to 'Eagle Fly Free', which only he could perform effortlessly live, reaching the sky with his high and crystalline voice.

Unfortunately, however, that dream shared by many had been gradually disappearing more and more, starting from the first two solo albums ('Instant Clarity' and 'Readiness to Sacrifice'), undoubtedly valid and underrated works, although increasingly experimental and distant from the genre that had launched him, through the questionable project 'Supared' (dated 2003), after which Kiske declared, due to failed sales, his definitive farewell even to the hard rock scene, although his frequent appearances as a guest singer in various power projects (Avantasia, Timo Tolkki, Masterplan etc.) heavily misinterpreted his declarations, and probably served to cover the scant approvals of his solo albums.

The last two albums signed by Kiske, released between 2006 and 2008 for Frontiers (the first self-titled and 'Past In Different Ways', a collection of covers from the Helloween period revisited acoustically), seemed to draw the curtain on the rock career of the singer, proposing solely acoustic sounds in which the guitars were relegated to a mere supporting role for his voice, and nothing more; this despite the fact that already in 2005 the first album of Place Vendome had seen the light, a side project led by Pink Cream 69's Denis Ward, in which Kiske lent his voice for an album that finally embraced more hard'n heavy and AOR sounds but which, despite the good quality and yet again excellent vocal performance, the singer rushed to label as a simple participation that would not continue, also stating that he considered the guitar riffs of the more forceful tracks too hard and irritating to listen to. However, despite such declarations already seeming to clip the wings of the emerging project, in the immediately following years, partly due to finally good critical reception and especially sales, and due to the friendship and collaboration solidified between the singer and bassist/producer Denis Ward, 'Streets Of Fire' was published in 2009, a second and equally valid chapter of PV, which was followed the next year by a tour that finally saw Kiske return on stage, 17 years since the last concerts with Helloween promoting 'Chameleon'.

During that tour, the band adopted the name 'Unisonic', with the definitive entry of former PC69 Kosta Zafiriou on drums and former Krokus Mandy Meyer on guitar, to which was added, somewhat surprisingly, during a series of Kiske concerts with Avantasia, none other than Kai Hansen, frontman of Gamma Ray and former Helloween, to the joy and amazement of many fans of the real Hamburg Pumpkins, eager to hear the two play together again in a new record that, initially planned for 2011, instead saw the light, after a difficult gestation, only in the spring of 2012. But perhaps all those who expected Kiske's return to power metal, or the true 'Keeper 3', will be disappointed by this album which, despite the presence of Kai Hansen in songwriting inevitably bringing several allusions to the sound of Gamma Ray and early Helloween, turns out to be the logical continuation of what was proposed three years ago with the last album of Place Vendome.

And so it is enough already the intro of the opener 'Unisonic' to clarify the intentions, evoking without too much trouble that 'Cross The Line' which was the fantastic opener of the first PV chapter (and in my opinion the best rock piece sung by Kiske in the last 20 years), while tracks like 'I've Tried', 'Star Rider', and 'Renegade' instead pick up the more strongly AOR/melodic hard atmospheres of the subsequent 'Streets Of Fire', with the addition of some power influence especially in 'Star Rider', with its typically Gamma Ray-ish chorus and refrains (period 'Somewhere Out In Space', already from the title); as well as more catchy and easy listening episodes are not lacking, as in the enthralling 'Never Change Me' and 'Never Too Late', the latter a perfect middle ground between the title track of PV's debut and two Gamma Ray songs such as 'Heaven Can Wait' and 'Time To Break Free' (sung by Kiske himself on 'Land Of The Free'). Sharp and typically hard rock riffs instead scourge in the compelling 'My Sanctuary', one of the most convincing episodes of the album; while the most typically power tracks turn out to be the initial 'Souls Alive', composed by Kai Hansen and the first single extracted (with more than an echo of 'I Want Out' in the initial riff); 'King For A Day', a heavy track with an epic gait that seems to have come out of a late '90s Ray album; while the almost conclusive 'We Rise' takes a bit back in time, in the mind, to that unforgettable 'Keeper 2', with its sunny chorus sung at the top of Kiske's lungs, just like 20 years and more ago. The task of closing falls instead to the only ballad of the album, 'No One Ever Sees Me', the only track entirely signed by the singer, of decent quality and with evocative atmospheres, although it certainly does not reach the levels of intensity and passion touched especially in his first two solo albums.

So I don't feel like spending excessive words or proclamations for this debut of Unisonic which, despite having the undeniable merit of at least bringing Michael Kiske closer to the sounds that had rightly made him an idol with the general public, leaves however in too many episodes that bitter and annoying aftertaste of déjà vu, which not even the always splendid voice of the singer can erase. Therefore, I do not deny that I sincerely expect more from a third chapter of Place Vendome, of which there seems to be a possibility in the next 1-2 years, rather than from a new possible record of this band, given Kai Hansen's declarations of wanting to continue the adventure with Gamma Ray; because although it's impossible for me not to feel a pinch of nostalgia in hearing those songs again on record and live, which had made me dream so much as a kid, it is unfortunately undeniable that there is a time for everything, and perhaps at least for Kiske that of 'Keeper Of The Seven Keys Pt.2' is right to remain only a beautiful memory.