The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has a high cost in lives, and will leave a mark on the world with a number of scars that can be counted and tears that will run down the years. Sorry for being raw and true: the leaders of the country where Sars-Cov-2 was born and those who denied its dangers will have to explain their actions. Once more: the cost of live and tears must be paid by the guilty ones. And one of other aspects of the lack of global attitudes to control the disease was the cancellation of festivals and tours, what made many bands experienced a hard time. But to diminish a little all the pain and fear, many bands released unexpected new materials, as "The Devil You Know - Live", the first live album of the sextet THE UNIT.

They're a star Heavy/Power Metal act with musicians with names as GAMMA RAY, PRIMAL FEAR, LOVE.MIGHT.KILL, ODD DIMENSION and others on the careers. It's the same thing: an old and used form of music that gains life in the hands of experienced musicians, with a very good balance between weight and melodies, and an amazing energy, improved due the album be recorded alive, even with the recordings coming from a time span between 2017 and 2020. And it's really great! Achim Köhler is the one who took the recordings, mixed and mastered them (yes, no one uses a live show in a different way), creating a right sonority, with the feeling of a live show, but with everything sounding clear, loud and defined. It's a very good work, indeed, that seems without endless editions or overdubs.

Many could ask if a band with only three studio albums could be successful on a live album (some can say that it's too early for that), but the 12 songs of the album are really fine pieces that deserve to be heard and enjoyed, especially the massive weight of "Last Betrayal" (excellent work on bass guitar and drums, giving the right and heavy rhythmic support), "No Hero" (a great live hit, with amazing chorus and melodies, and what great work on the vocals), the abrasive weight of "No More Lies" and "Welcome Home" (both with fine melodies created by the guitars), the charming hooks of "Firesign" (the keyboards gives the right temper to the aggressiveness of the song), the live weight of "We Don't Need Them Here" and of "You Got Me Wrong" (pay attention to the synergy between the band and the public)... Oh, come on, the entire album seems a compilation of hits. Listen to it from the beginning to the end, and repeat it as much as you want!

THE UNIT is really great option for a live show, as "The Devil You Know - Live" is here to proove.