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The
Swedish Unchained joins the mass of power metal bands on this earth
with their self-titled debut album. In this genre, the priority is
not how to sound original (that’s quite impossible) but how to
create fine songs and the skilfulness on the instruments. In both
categories Unchained is doing pretty well.
We
can situate the very beginning of the band in 1999 and during all
this time guitarist David Blome was the only constant member, so
that we can consider him as the driving force against Unchained.
Between 2002 and 2003 the band released several demos. When they got
signed by Sound Riot Records in September 2003, at last they could
work seriously at this debut. The band stayed in the studio for six
months and one can taste their intense efforts. Even though the
production was mainly in their own hands – and here the name of
David Blome pops up again – there is nothing to disapprove at the
sound.
We
are certainly not dealing here with one of those bands operating in
the wake of Helloween, no, Unchained’s influences are much more
different and go back to the eighties heavy metal stuff (Iron
Maiden, Judas Priest), but with a decent touch of their own. The
strength of this material is the excellent detailed performance of
the songs, little ornaments that catch the eye, such as the
atmospheric guitar leads in ‘The Analyst’. The killer track ‘Ghost
Of The Alchemic Hall’ reminds me in the first place of Manowar, but
soon I must admit it could have been a Demon track as well. Per
Karlsson’s vocals remind me so much of Dave Hill here. The band
creates a sense of mystery in almost epic tracks like ‘Theater Of
Pain’ and ‘Seventh Sin’ when gloomy choirs and ditto guitars create
a dark atmosphere. ‘I Dream’ is the only track we can catalogue as a
ballad. It starts very well, but after a while it looses something
of its power. ‘Ordinary Sinner’ has the ghost of Judas Priest
within.
Only one small remark on the vocals on this album, something an
album stands of falls with. Per Karlsson is an excellent vocalist,
singing every tune in a suitable way, fitting the composition. But I
don’t like too much his high-pitched vocals, that’s something to
work on in the future. But this is a seminal band with a talented
debut. The artwork was done by Mattias Norén. |
