Michael Kiske is a legend within the Metal music realm. The once lead vocalist for the classic line-up of PowerMetal pioneers, Helloween, Michael did four studio albums with them before he was let go. Two of the albums, Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part I & II, are considered classic recordings in the PowerMetal Genre.
Amanda Somerville became known in Metal music by working with vocalists as a coach and stepping in to to sing in different capacities. She has toured with Epica when Simone Simons was unable to perform. Sang on Edguy and Avantasia albums, as well as the band Kamelot‘s last few releases. I first heard of Amanda when talking with Mark Jansen of Epica when they opened for Kamelot on The Black Halo Tour.
Michael Kiske and Amanda Somerville had both made guest appearences on Avantasia releases but the chance of them doing an album together… I had not heard of Frontiers Records until this albums release but that the president of the company likes to pair up known exceptional vocalists is not lost on me anymore.
The album is Metal and hard rock; never too much of either one, with a back up band made up by Mat Sinner, Sander Gommans, Magnus Karlsson, Jimmy Kresic, Martin Schmidt, and Ramy Ali. Yes, for those who know a lot about European Metal, this is a sort of supergroup. I say sort of because the players shine on instrument parts but step back and let the vocalists do what they were brought together to do.
Some will like this album and some will balk at its musical choices. It is not PM nor a full-fledged metal album. What it is is a spotlight for two known vocalists, period. Personally, I was happier than a sissy in prison when I first heard about the joining and am wholly satisfied with it. Plus, Mat Sinner, I listened to Sinner until the early 1990’s Grunge/music-to-slit-your-wrists-to movement made me turn my back on music until I discovered Edguy and Nightwish and Raphsody and…
Track listing for Kiske/Somerville:
01: Nothing Left To Say
02: Silence
03: If I Had A Wish
04: Arise
05: End Of The Road
06: Don’t Walk Away
07: A Thousand Suns
08: Rain
09: One Night Burning
10: Devil In her Heart
11: Second Chance
12: Set A Fire
The CD is packaged with a DVD that has the two videos: Silence and If I Had A Wish, and a documentary on the making of the videos that Amanda Somerville had filmed.
Michael Kiske formed Unisonic, a metal band that is to release their debut album this year. Ex-Helloween guitarist Kai Hansen is also in the band – can’t wait.
Poetry, Melodies & Metal 