Description

A5 box set limited to 5000 copies

On their second album Unification the band really got it all together and made their finest moment. The album starts with a bit of an intro, Coming Home, before launching into Starborn – this is total Gamma Ray styled speed metal. If you’ve heard Powerplant, you know the drill. The guitar tone is a bit more vicious sounding, though, and generally very unique – some great riff work, very very heavy, and of course Kai’s awesome leads… can’t miss. Deadly Sleep is more of the same, as is Forces of Rage. Some nice choruses to be found here – you’ll be singing along with this one in no time. It’s Powerplant meets Painkiller up to this point. Captain’s Log is another interlude, there tend to be a few in here… then Brothers of the Past is very cool, and then we have Eye to Eye, probably the greatest song on here. Mind over Matter and Prisoner of the Void are quite nice too, so is The Battle. This album just does not let up at all for the first few songs. Unchained is the last heavy song then the rest of the album is a bit of a mishmash, it could’ve been completely omitted with no real loss. Forevermore is a ballad, and Gorgar 98 is a Helloween cover (well, sort of a cover, since it’s a Hansen work!), and not as good as the original. Neon Knights is done competently as well. The last track is by the band Excelsis, and is decent but unspectacular – they won some kind of contest and got to be on an Iron Savior album. Weird, but okay. If you leave out the 4 last songs then you 52 minutes of total Painkiller worship, with a heavy dose of Gamma Ray and that insane guitar work too. Yep this is some of Kai Hansens finest works.

Track listing:
1. Coming Home
2. Starborn
3. Deadly Sleep
4. Forces Of Rage
5. Captain’s Log
6. Brothers (Of The Past)
7. Eye To Eye
8. Mind Over Matter
9. Prisoner Of The Void
10. The Battle
11. Unchained
12. Forevermore
13. Gorgar-98 version-Helloween cover
14. Neon Knights-Black Sabbath cover
15. Excelsis-Dragonslayer