Three years after their debut album, Arctic Rain are back with heir sophomore release, “Unity”, and two new member Kaspar Dahlqvist (Code Red) on keyboards and Richard Tonyson (All For The King) on drums. The original trio of Tobias Jonsson on vocals, Magnus Berglund on guitars, and Gert Daun on bass appears to have connected perfectly with the new members.
In case you haven’t heard of the band before, I’d describe their sound as a modern blend of melodic rock and AOR with a few hard rock touches here and there. Tobias’ incredible voice perfectly complements the music. The songwriting is strong, with nice and creative ideas, and the melodies in most of the songs are wonderful. I do fancy the rockin’ guitars, the smart and essential use of keyboards and the solid rhythm section. The production is also tight, clear and powerful.
Songs like “One World”, “Unity”, “Fire in My Eyes”, “Laughing in the Rain”, “Out of Time”, “Kids of the Radio” (with the hard rockin’ flavor) and “The Road Goes On” will surely make your day, especially if you enjoy melodic rock songs with memorable melodies. “Believe” is an emotional ballad that starts with a soft piano melody. Tobias’ incredible vocals make the final outcome even more captivating. Along come the fantastic guitar solo and the atmospheric keys.
With the release of “Unity”, Arctic Rain shown that they are not your typical Melodic Rock / AOR band and that they are willing to take chances and take it all the way. I think they have the potential to succeed and gain more popularity.
All in all, “Unity” is a captivating and enjoyable album that showcases the band’s songwriting abilities and taste for beautiful melodies. With its catchy hooks, great musicianship, and meaningful lyrics, “Unity” is most likely to appeal to fans of melodic rock and AOR music.
