Lockdown was a strange time for many bands, especially ones that actually founded in that fateful year 2020 – but some fresh ideas born. Formed online but by already friend musicians, the idea behind UNCHOSEN ONES was to create something unique, different. And listening to their debut album “Sorrow Turns To Dust“, they reach the goal.
The music of the UNCHOSEN ONES is an unusual meld of melodic hard rock / commercial power metal / retro 80s synthwave and video-games. Their lyrics are inspired by arcade video games like Elden Ring (‘Infinite Gear’), Castlevania (‘Kill the Night’) or Dark Souls (‘Ashen Wasteland’), but they also cover other themes.
It’s very refreshing to hear a punchy melodic power metal rhythm / sharp guitars mixed with cyber retro ’80 synths resulting into some kind of a laser beam that hits you in the head. These guys have creative ideas for sure.
I rather like the emotive timbre of vocalist Javier Calderon’s voice – it’s clear, powerful and warm, but could do with a little more variety in the way he uses it in the arrangements across the ten songs in this debut. That said, I suspect that this is likely to do with the fact that as the last person to join the line-up and with some of the material dating back to unused material from previous projects, that he may not have been there to fully influence the writing process for some of the songs.
Either way, I can see huge potential here, and he’s one to watch.
Musically this is driven by founders Jose Fernandez (drums) and Christian Marco (keyboards), with the interplay between them driving the arrangements in quite a novel way.
Also with guitarist Francisco Romero coming late to the party, his playing ability is mainly confined to the rhythm parts in the melodies, with keys taking the lion’s share of these. But he’s got a fantastic turn on those six strings, as is blatantly obvious when he and Marco harmonise, and more importantly when he lets rips on the solos. It’s important to note that although he can shred with the best of them, it’s when he’s focusing on more even-paced instrumental breaks that emphasise the melody and move the heart at the same time that he really stands out.
Now to be honest Melodic Power Metal when done well, does rather rock my boat, and the added layer of that traditional ’80s structure to the arrangements & writing is just icing on the cake on an album with an incredibly polished and high calibre production delivery for a self-released.
Originality is the key here, and a joyous listen.
Highly Recommended
Tracklist:
01. Far Beyond The Thunderdome
02. The World Is Ours To Take
03. Infinite Gear
04. Sorrow Turns To Dust
05. The Accursed Moon
06. Kill The Night
07. Too Late
08. Shadow Dancer
09. Ashen Wasteland
10. The Call Of The Rain
11. True Warrior
line up:
Christian Marco
Francisco Romero
Jose Fernandez - Drums
Javier Calderon
Pablo Alvarez
Unchosen Ones – Sorrow Turns To Dust (2023)
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