The Unity - The Hellish Joyride Review

The Unity are a rising force of the New Hard Rock bands that are making the return of the good old Hard Rock scene in this sad and lonely and pathetic little planet. It’s a band we know very well as we’ve reviewed their albums from their eponymous debut album 2017’s “The Unity.” Counting on from this one it’s been four albums including one alive album 2021’s “The Devil You Know.” Now we’ve got “The Hellish Joyride” which is a game changer in the band’s career from where I’m standing in musical terms. But my dear child of the night might ask if “The Hellish Joyride” is that different from its previous album to be called a game changer. I do believe so. Now, if you be kind enough to let me, I’ll write this review about why I think this album is a gamne changer.

First of all, after listening to all the album I have to say that “The Hellish Joyride” is heavier than all the previous albums so far. The Unity added other references to their music as some Power Metal features as “Saints and Sinners” deliver the fan with a fast paced drumming and those fast guitar riffings so common among Power Metal bands. But does that make “The Hellish Joyride” a Power Metal album? No, not a little bit, but it makes a clear stand of the band’s intent to get heavier. For instance, the acoustic intro of album opener “One World” is based on the good old Epic Heavy Metal as Helloween used to do in the good old times doing a great bridge to the fast guitar riffed “Masterpiece” with a harsher vocal than the usual for the band. Easily the heaviest song The Unity have ever recorded.

Second of all, The Unity gave a huge step in order to getting their very own stapler. It’s not that the band didn’t have it before, but this stapler is stronger now with tracks as “Golden Sun” and “The Good Die Young” being this later a great example of how a band can get a cliché theme and make it a fabulous fresh tune. Adding some more heaviness to their music gave them this. The more prominent sound of the drums is also responsible for this change. Plus the very well-known duet bass reinforcing the bass drum which works pretty well giving the song a deeper sound.

Third of all, and last, “The Hellish Joyride” is a whole not a bunch of songs put together. It seems to me that the band gave the song a more carefull thought to make them united and sounding as a whole. I can see a connection with all the songs which would be this intent of sounding heavier. The cliché themed “Never Surrender” tells this tale with the duet I aforementioned before with a la Deep Purple keyboards and a heavy guitar. Only grand finale “You’re Not Forced to Stay” isn’t on the same page. No worries.

For all this I’ll nominate “The Hellish Joyride” as one of the best albums of the year. This change of heart got me by the heart and by the guts and soul.

The Unity “The Hellish Joyride” will be released on August 25th via Steamhammer / SPV.

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