Honestly, I've been a bit harsh on Symphorce over the years. Singer Andy B. Franck's other band Brainstorm, quite frankly, has always been the more accomplished 'older sibling' of the two, and the work of that band just seems to consistently overshadow Symphorce in my view. However, if Unrestricted is any indication, then the distance between the two bands is quickly starting to disappear, as this is one hell of a heavy metal album.
The first thing you notice here is the newfound 'accessibility' of the songs on Unrestricted. "The Eternal" and "Until It's Over" bust out of the gate with catchy hooks from Franck (he is after all, one of the better singers in the power metal genre) and plenty of crunchy guitar riffs courtesy of Cedric DuPont & Markus Pohl. The two riff busters again crank out a wide selection of metal power chords underneath Franck's soaring delivering on "Sorrow In Our Hearts", a headbanging anthem for the ages. Other highlights include the textured "The Waking Hour", the absolutely crushing "The Last Decision", and the pinch harmonic madness that is "Worlds Seem to Collide". Throughout it all, it's become pretty apparent that Symphorce seem to want to break away from being a straight power metal act. There's a good variety of material here, from classic metal sounds, to melodic hard rock, and even some progressive metal.
Whether you've been a fan of Symphorce or not, Unrestricted is without a doubt an album you'll want to check out. Franck once again shows why he's one of the most underrated vocalists in metal, and more imortantly, why Brainstorm isn't his only band worth checking out.
Track Listing
1. The Eternal (4:08)
2. Until It's Over (3:46)
3. Sorrow In Our Hearts (3:20)
4. Whatever Hurts (4:42)
5. The Waking Hour (3:00)
6. Visions (4:36)
7. The Last Decision (3:24)
8. The Mindless (5:56)
9. Worlds Seem To Collide (3:44)
10. Do You Ever Wonder (4:22)
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