Unified Past – Spots (2013)

Being huge fans of Progressive Rock/Metal, we were very excited when we got Unified Past’s latest release “Spots”. Featuring eleven-tracks of very well crafted and skilled Progressive music, “Spots” is one of those very ambitious releases that delivers in every single department, thanks to the excellent musical skills of the band’s three members. Ranging from extremely technical to just catchy and simple, this release has something for every fan of the genre.

Opening with the lush “Blank”, we get a first glance at the band’s very dynamic and futuristic sound. The soaring keyboards nicely complement Stephen Speelman’s very fitting vocals. We get a slight Ayreon / Hawkwind vibe in this well-constructed track. Wasting no time “Deep” opens up with an excellent guitar/keyboard combo that sets a very melodic tone for the track. In this track we particularly enjoyed the playful guitars paired with some cool percussions, making it quite engaging and a delight to enjoy.

The acrobatic “Hot” packs some excellent technical wizardry with a great sense of melody and playfulness. It is quite excellent to listen to the band fully explore their musical capabilities in a very relaxed manner. “Seeing” is one of those tracks that we mentioned has a very simple and typical core that is quite catchy, and only uses virtuoso moments here and there to add value to the song. The first stand out track of this release comes under the name of “Though” a 8-minute behemoth that nicely progresses through lush keyboards/synths, crafty guitars, and very soothing percussions.

This fantastical musical journey continues through brilliant tracks like the playful “Age”, the somber “Sun” and guitar solo fest “Big”. All of these tracks are packed with lush melodic passages that continue the excellent and magical flow of this release. The mellow “Wet” starts off with quite a relaxing vibe, very similar to Dream Theater and such bands that focus on soothing melodies that show both skill and masterful composition skills.

Sadly enough this release has to come to a close, but the band leaves us with one last anthem: “The Final” a track that nicely builds up and has a very heroic/epic vibe. The dramatic vocals nicely fit to the songs slower structure, allowing everything to be quite enjoyable and identifiable. Overall, “Spots” is one hell of a Progressive Rock/Metal release that will easily be in the top 10 prog albums of 2013. We are glad that this band has continued to make music and thus refined their sound over the years. If you are huge fan of Dream Theater, Ayreon, and older Prog outfits, you do not want to miss Unified Past.

Label: Melodic Revolution Records

Release: June 21st, 2013

Genre: Progressive Rock/Metal

Country: USA