Unisonic (album)
Unisonic is the debut album by the hard rock/power metal band Unisonic. It was released in 2012 on earMUSIC. The album is the group's first full-length studio release and since Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 2 (1988) by Helloween the first album to feature both Kai Hansen and Michael Kiske performing on all songs.[4]
| Unisonic | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 21, 2012 (Japan) March 30, 2012 (Europe) May 22, 2012 (USA) | |||
| Recorded | ICP Studios, Brussel, Belgium, HOFA Studios, Karlsdorf, Hammer Studios, Hamburg, Germany, 2012 | |||
| Genre | Hard rock, power metal | |||
| Length | 55:20 | |||
| Label | earMUSIC | |||
| Producer | Dennis Ward, Kai Hansen | |||
| Unisonic chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Hard Rock Haven |  |
| Planetmosh | |
| Rock Hard | 8/10[3] |
Production
The majority of the songs were written by Dennis Ward and Kai Hansen, with further input from Mandy Meyer and Michael Kiske.[5] A music video was filmed for the song Unisonic on YouTube.[6]
The album was released on 21 March 2012 in Japan, on 30 March 2012 in Europe and on 22 May 2012 in the US, with cover art credited to Martin Häusler. The album became available in several special editions, such as the European (Mediabook),[7] the Japanese[8] and the US,[9] each containing a different bonus track.
Unisonic's debut album entered several international music charts, scoring the highest points on the Finnish albums chart, Japanese albums chart, German albums chart and Swedish albums chart.[10]
Accolades
In Burrn! magazine's 2012 Readers Poll, Unisonic ranked at #2 (behind Accept's Stalingrad) for Best Album and the title track won Best Song.[11]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Unisonic" | Dennis Ward, Kai Hansen | Mandy Meyer, Hansen | 3:25 |
| 2. | "Souls Alive" | Ward | Meyer | 5:13 |
| 3. | "Never Too Late" | Hansen | Hansen | 4:30 |
| 4. | "I’ve Tried" | Ward | Ward | 4:56 |
| 5. | "Star Rider" | Ward, Hansen | Ward | 4:16 |
| 6. | "Never Change Me" | Hansen | Hansen | 3:44 |
| 7. | "Over the Rainbow (European bonus track)" | Hansen | Hansen[12] | 5:16 |
| 8. | "Renegade" | Ward | Ward | 4:38 |
| 9. | "My Sanctuary" | Ward | Ward, Hansen | 4:16 |
| 10. | "King for a Day" | Hansen | Hansen | 4:07 |
| 11. | "We Rise" | Ward | Ward, Hansen | 4:43 |
| 12. | "No One Ever Sees Me" | Michael Kiske | Kiske | 6:13 |
| 13. | "The Morning After (Japanese bonus track)" | Kiske, Ward | Meyer | 4:03 |
| 14. | "I Want Out (live at Loud Park) (North American bonus track)" | Hansen | Hansen | 5:34 |
Personnel
- Michael Kiske - lead vocals
- Kai Hansen - lead & rhythm guitars, backing vocals, co-producer
- Mandy Meyer - lead & rhythm guitars
- Dennis Ward - bass, backing vocals, producer, engineer, mixing
- Kosta Zafiriou - drums, percussion
- Guest session musician
Charts
| Chart (2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[14] | 59 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[15] | 8 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[16] | 140 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[17] | 24 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI)[18] | 90 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)[19] | 19 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[20] | 29 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[21] | 44 |
References
- http://hardrockhaven.net/online/2012/03/unisonic-unisonic/
- http://planetmosh.com/unisonic-unisonic-album-review/
- Albrecht, Frank (April 2012). "Unisonic – Unisonic". Rock Hard (in German). No. 299.
- "UNISONIC's KISKE, HANSEN Break Down Debut Album - Part 2 (video)". Legacy.roadrunnerrecords.com. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
- "UNISONIC – Never Say Never". Carl Begai. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
- "Unisonic Premier Their First Video!". earMUSIC. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
- https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unisonic-Mediabook/dp/B006VUPCEM/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1336720670&sr=1-1
- https://www.amazon.com/Unisonic-Bonus-Japan-CD-MICP-11040/dp/B0071NB45E/ref=sr_1_4?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1336720445&sr=1-4
- https://www.amazon.com/Unisonic/dp/B007QHKMTO/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1337871286&sr=1-2
- http://acharts.us/album/69916
- http://kiskefanclub.com/michael-kiske-voted-as-best-vocalist-in-burrn-magazine/
- "Official releases - 2012 - Unisonic". Kiskelized. Archived from the original on 29 October 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
- http://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Unisonic/Unisonic/329625
- "Austriancharts.at – Unisonic – Unisonic" (in German). Hung Medien.
- "Unisonic: Unisonic" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
- "Lescharts.com – Unisonic – Unisonic". Hung Medien.
- "Offiziellecharts.de – Unisonic – Unisonic" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts.
- "Italiancharts.com – Unisonic – Unisonic". Hung Medien.
- http://www.bravewords.com/news/181184
- "Swedishcharts.com – Unisonic – Unisonic". Hung Medien.
- "Swisscharts.com – Unisonic – Unisonic". Hung Medien.