The Unity return with their brand new album "Pride," packed to the digital envelope with a refreshed take on the Power Metal genre, infused with elements from battle and classic metal influences. The strong line up with members from GAMMA RAY and FIREWIND, returned to the studio to lay down their third album after a headline tour and even performing and many European festivals. These guys have everything to be proud of with this record, the tracks are diverse , dancing close to the borders of progressive melodic metal, only to be interrupted by their battle chants summoning their followers to war. These guys surprise you at every turn and just when your about to peg them.... well you'll see...

The album starts with a nice Classic Heavy Metal build up, layered against some interesting melodic counterparts on "The New Pandora", which dives straight into "Hand Of Time". A heavy, chugging piece that gets the blood pumping. Manenti's voice soars over the raging instruments, with a beautiful tone that can only be matched to Tobias Sammet's. As the track progress they just keep throwing out such fierce and serious pieces of art. "Line And Sinker" could almost be a homage to Randy Rhodes, but the 80's metal doesn't end there, each track is infused with such rich takes on their influences it's like listening through the looking glass at an alternative universe of music. "Angel Of Dawn" has some nice time interplays, Kashmir-esk, with a riff that gives a sense of marching to war. "Damn Nation"  and "Wave Of Fear," is where these guys shine. Instant headbanging classics, that sounds like Yngwie Malmsteen playing with "0-0Earth." then, "Guess How I Hate This" comes in, with a sick guitar lead - you can tell the guitarists were having fun on this track, and as the band weaves through so many melodic ideas, you get such profound lyrics comparing "Bonnie and Clyde", with "Jekyll and Hyde". The study of these veterans on these tracks is worth the time of any budding musician. And finally we get "Scenery Of Hate" and all I can say is if you head isn't wind milling at the start of this track there's something wrong with you...this is Melodic Power Metal done right, with some exceptional harmonies in the chorus. So wait... did I say finally? But isn't their two more tracks?

Yeah so... just when "THE UNITY" have played their hand and you think you've got them... yeah then they give you "Rusty Cadillac," which is my favourite track on the album. Done. Don't believe me? Imagine DEEP PURPLE, KING CRIMSON, DREAM THEATER doing some insane variation of "Highway Star" in a 60's style jam. Yeah, then when Manenti comes in with a horn section, it's like some kind of Jazz-Swing-Metal hybrid. And it is DAMN funky. To ease the whiplash recovery, "Don't Walk Alone" is a nice farewell track, with a chord progression Bryan Adams would be proud of. This is an exceptional album that doesn't deserve the dishonesty of trying to pigeon hole this into one category. There are influences from every style of music and I feel there is something for most metal fans on this album, and if you like ANY of the bands I've used in my comparison then I swear you will enjoy this band, and their new album "Pride," that's being released via Steamhammer.