UnSun - The End Of Life review
| Band: | UnSun |
| Album: | The End Of Life |
| Style: | Gothic metal |
| Release date: | September 22, 2008 |
| Guest review by: | Vikingocalypse; |
01. Whispers
02. Lost Innocence
03. Blinded By Hatred
04. Face The Truth
05. The Other Side
06. Destiny
07. Memories
08. Bring Me To Heaven
09. On The Edge
10. Closer To Death
11. Indifference
The fact that UnSun is believed to be a side project of a Vader is completely understandable why fans would have high expectations of this project. As for the matter of fact, UnSun really isn't a relative of Vader. UnSun is merely a project regardless which members played in what bands. Also, it is ridiculously silly to negate a project just because the band's music isn't similar to that of a band member's former band. Therefore, if readers are expecting a review of contradiction towards "Vader's side project" then they may simply exit this page because that is totally not the point of this review. In fact, Vader has absolutely no recognition in this review. This review is clearly all about this talented band called UnSun.
The only contradiction I am going to point out is the genre. I firmly stand my ground that the genre of gothic metal is almost inexistent. Unsun is purely atmospheric metal with several alternative elements.
Besides a band member's history, and the opinion of genres, what is really important about UnSun and what should be taken to full acknowledgment, is their music. Melancholy is the emotion that perfectly describes the atmosphere The End Of Life creates. Track after track, the mind floats and the body swiftly drifts.
Besides the melancholy of the atmosphere, the guitarists certainly incorporate a fair amount of distortion and a few guitar solos. Most tracks on The End Of Life, such as "Whispers", "Lost Innocence", and "Closer To Death", contain to an extent a darker musical passage. As opposed to some other tracks, such as "Blinded By Hatred", "Face The Truth", and "Destiny", are almost purely melancholic. But either or, all tracks contribute to the ill-fated mood of The End Of Life.
The vocals are very interesting. For a first time listener, this may sound a little like pop music. In fact, on YouTube someone went as far as patronizing UnSun by sarcastically saying "Brittany Spears has a band now!" Absolute non sense, the vocals are not that different from the female vocals of Catafalque, Leaves' Eyes, and Sirenia. In fact, The End Of Life has all elements of atmospheric metal, and UnSun generally are just as worthy as the other beautiful atmospheric/symphonic metal bands out there.
The End Of Life is put out by Century Media Records and distributed by EMI, two very huge and mainstream labels. However, listeners really should not take this into account. Keep in mind, Behemoth is currently signed with Century Media; and so are Finntroll and Warbringer. Therefore the fact that UnSun is supported by a large label isn't important.
I strongly recommend UnSun to fans of Sirenia, Leaves' Eyes, and Within Temptation.
Greetings to Poland
Cheers!
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 8 |
| Songwriting: | 7 |
| Originality: | 9 |
| Production: | 9 |
Written by Vikingocalypse; | 16.12.2009
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Comments
Comments: 5
Visited by: 82 users
| quirin Posts: 105  |
The vocals do have a pop feeling. But the most annoying is they are much too loud, drowning both guitars (and working my nerves). It could have been classier with an adequate mixing. Too bad. As you so appropriately say: for fans of female vocals. Only.
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| Vikingocalypse; Account deleted |
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| Jason W. Razorbliss Staff Posts: 3523  |
Nice to see a review on this album  I think I would have given it a 7.5 or so, with that little extra coming from it being a surprisingly good debut from Mauser and company in a scene new to many of the band. I didn't mind the mix of the album, because I took at as being a vocally-driven release, but I can see why someone would wish for a bit more guitar at times.I'm interested to see if they'll release another one someday, because the main thing I wanted in the release was more variation, or depth in the songwriting. It is, a bit too poppy in that sense. Interestingly enough, their performance at MFVF matched the music: solid with no complaints, but not something that's going to hypnotize me or change my views in music 
---- "After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." - Aldous Huxley
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| Vikingocalypse; Account deleted |
Vikingocalypse;
Account deleted Written by Jason W. on 04.01.2010 at 01:03 Well look at it this way, besides how the album "sounds", look at it subculturally. It's no where NEAR pop culture. It's not something you're going to find pop musicians listening to. BELIVE IT OR NOT I actually played this album in school to students who are hevaily into pop/dance and junk, and they disliked it. They found it "too heavy" and "too much guitar". What does that tell you? It's not even close to pop. As for Aya's voice, it's very similar to Monikka (I think that's how her name is spelled) who vocaled on nine destinies and a downfall by Sirenia. Even Ailyn sings similarly. I strongly agree, it would be nice if they put out another album. I would look forward to it very much as well.
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