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Unifaun: Unifaun
 Nad Sylvan (voice, guitar, keys. drums) and Bonamici (keys, bass, percussion) met at a Genesis fans convention and decided to make an album of the "songs which Genesis never recorded". They have certainly captured some of the trademarks in the Hackett-like acoustic and sustained guitar and Nad's voice is a kind of hybrid between Collins and Gabriel. Very polished artwork complements the album. For me though it doesn't live up to its very laudable intentions.
The first song is a pastiche of Genesis sounds but just doesn't hold together. Vocals grate, segues are clumsy and the production doesn't seem very bright. Things improve in the next song, in 'Harlequin' vein, which perhaps suffers only from being a tad too twee even for Genesis. Nice mellotron and percussion give it a dreamy charm.
"Mr Marmaduke and the Ministers" moves us into that early Collins era when Hackett still had some influence and may be compared with some of the other Genesis influenced bands of that era like England or Babylon. The singer's nasally diction which slips from lecture style to falsetto and back just grates on me unfortunately to the extent that I can barely listen to the piece. It is written in a complex style which strives to be more than it delivers and reminds me of some of the worst parts of Citizen Cain's albums. Again the music fails to flow but just chops and changes with lots of Genesis tricks thrown into the mix without enough regard for the overall outcome.
"Swingers party" is more simply structured, almost ballad-like in places and, but for the over-insistent vocals again, would be a decent song. "Rehacksis", a rather banal play on Regenesis I suppose, displays Nad's undoubted guitar and drumming ability well and has some very tasteful flute-sounds from Bonamici. Instrumentally it's a very pleasant listen and, like the next track, "Quest for the last virtue", it borrows heavily from Steve Hackett's debut album in particular. "Quest" is an epic piece and for me is the highlight of the album and the one place where they really seem to 'get it right' with the mix of borrowed lyrics and melodies and their own original take. There are influences from Lamb and Wind and Wuthering as well as Voyage of the Acolyte and more care has been exerted over the tempo and thematic changes. Nad's voice is less assertive and dominant here in a more balanced instrumental/vocal mix which helps.
The pleading "Where's the way out" lifts the keyboard arpeggios and organ chords from the "Chamber of 32 doors" to associate itself again with The Lamb. The vocals however are again just too forced and uneven tainting what could otherwise have been a decent variation of the Genesis classic. Duke is the album I would most connect with "Welcome to the farm", a poppy song in which the vocals work much better to the point that I'm beginning to feel that this is perhaps a mixing and advice problem rather than a voice issue. "Maudlin matter" is a lament where the uneven nasally whine gets back to grating on me; which is a pity because the lyric and words on this song, as elsewhere on the album, are of a high quality. Two keyboard instrumentals complete the work, a tasteful piano solo for Bonamici and the longer "End-or-fin" - you won't have much trouble guessing where the latter gets its inspiration from.
I'm crushed between honesty and empathy here as I can see that this work must have been a real labour of love for these guys. I really wanted to like this album but I just could not get on with it. I don't know whether it's only the vocals I find hard to swallow or the rather unmemorable and sometimes messily structured songs which in my view would always have been 'songs which Genesis would never have recorded'. Often they are in reality just variations on songs which Genesis already have recorded! There are some bright spots here and there but overall this album is too typical of the kind of neo-prog which lends the term its pejorative use. Having said that, singers are a very personal taste and many others may enjoy Nad's approach. If they do then they may find they favour this work far more than I have been able to.
Track Listing
1. Birth of a Biggie
2. To the green faerie
3. Mr Marmaduke and the Ministers
4. Swingers party
5. Rehacksis
6. Quest for the last virtue
7.. A way out
8. Finistere
9. Welcome to the farm
10. Maudlin matter
11. Bon apart
12. End-or-fin
Added: September 16th 2008
Reviewer: Richard Barnes
Score: 
Related Link: Progress Records
Hits: 4474
Language: english
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Unifaun: Unifaun
Posted by Pete Pardo, SoT Staff Writer on 2008-09-15 18:42:36
My Score:
Unifaun's self-titled debut is, at its simplest form, a loving tribute to the music of classic era Genesis. Plain and simple. Stop reading if the idea of that is lost on you. However, if you can appreciate something of this nature, then not only should you read on, but you should consider picking up with lovely little CD.
Retro sounding stuff like this is not always everyone's cup of tea-that's why we are all unique and all hear things differently. For some, recreating music from the past is cliche and drags the prog genre down, but for others, paying homage to a musical art form or band from the classic era not only brings back memories but reminds of how things were and how they might never be again. Myself, I generally enjoy groups who play in a close style to a classic band, providing they do it well and don't steal most of their material from the band they mimick. In the case of Unifaun, the duo comprised of Nad Sylvan (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, drums) and Bonamici (keyboards, bass, percussion), who not surprisingly met on a Genesis fan forum, conjure up images of Wind and Wuthering era mixed with some of the Peter Gabriel days as well. Sylvan, for the most part, sounds very much like a young Phil Collins, occasionally honing in on Gabriel ("Mr. Marmaduke amd the Minister" being a perfect example of the latter), and the instrumentation instantly brings to mind Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks, and Steve Hackett. Yes, that means Moogs, Mellotrons, Hammond, bass pedals, dramatic guitar work, essentially the core of the Genesis sound from 1971-1977. There's a certain lighthearted, almost whimsical nature to some of these songs, a lushness... clearly it's symphonic rock that's been well thought out and well put together.
Though 12 tracks might seem like a lot for a recording of this nature, for old school prog lovers you'll find that it flows quite well, and there are a mix of longer and shorter pieces. Highlights are many, but key cuts are "Birth of a Biggie", the Mellotron soaked "Rehacksis", the quirky "Maudlin Matter", and the bombastic closer "End of Fin". On more than a few occasions you'll hear snippets & passages from your favorite Genesis tunes, but I think that was done with a little tongue in cheek humor and an obvious tribute to the prog legends.
All in all, Unifaun have sold me on this one, as I'm an admitted classic Genesis nut (if you've read this site for a while that should be no secret), and I"ll easily put this in my pile with other bands who help scratch that itch for me, like Metaphor and The Watch.
A labor of love, and one that's very well done.
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Unifaun: Unifaun
Posted by David Haazen on 2023-02-16 17:29:29
My Score:
I, and many more judging by the popularity of the Genesis revisited concerts, absolutely love Nad`s vocals. Too many want him to be Gabriel or Collins, even fish has been mentioned... I hear him as Nad, a vocalist who falls into the same group as the afore mentioned, but is not any of them, he has inspired me, and I now own everything he has recorded as much as is possible, as for this album, Unifaun, absolute gem, especially the track Rehacks,sends shivers up my back, probably the most played track on my copy. If Nad grates, then so must Gabriel Collins, Fish, cos this guy is the go to vocalist for Steve Hackett for a very good reason, and rightly so.
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Unifaun: Unifaun
Posted by Greg Graves on 2008-09-16 20:01:28
My Score:
Richard Barnes has written a very feable review - way too critical of the vocals, completely unrealistic expectations of what an cd that intends to pay homage to Genesis is capable of achieving, and weak description of the music. The quality of SofT reviews are consistently at a high calibre but this review is simply weak and misdirected. It is just an opinion but not one I'd advice people to ignore and listen to the music first hand.
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Unifaun: Unifaun
Posted by Ed Lohrer on 2008-09-10 19:12:35
My Score:
Mr. Barnes, with all due respect, you really missed the mark with this review.
Either you didn't really give it a chance for what it is ... two guys with a love of Genesis music .... or you're not a very big fan of older/mid period Genesis.
I feel that this "labor of Love" nicely satisfies my Genesis-Jones :-)
I think that you should give it another chance or have another SoT reviewer give it a shot.
Duncan, you there???
;-)
8 out of 10
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Unifaun: Unifaun
Posted by Darren Wilson on 2008-09-10 18:14:13
My Score:
You have GOT to be kidding! :)
This is an excellent album.
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Unifaun: Unifaun
Posted by James Henderson on 2008-09-06 11:46:16
My Score: 
"The pleading "Where's the way out" lifts the keyboard arpeggios and organ chords from the "Chamber of 32 doors" to associate itself again with The Lamb. The vocals however are again just too forced and uneven tainting what could otherwise have been a decent variation of the Genesis classic".
1. The songīs name is "A Way Out".
2. The keyboard arpeggio is that of "Carpet Crawlers".
3. The vocals are very smooth and low key in the verses and then rise to
an area of real power and torment that reflects the lyrical content perfectly.
There is so much great music in there itīs unbelievable. What about "End-or-Fin"??
"you won't have much trouble guessing where the latter gets its inspiration from."
Yea, which one is it? "Los Endos" or "Dukeīs Travels/Dukeīs End"??
You donīt even mention what a bloody masterpiece this is,
with the reprise of Bonamiciīs "Bon Apart" in the second half.
This is probably the best prog cd I have heard in years. Work of genious.
Nad and Bon are true perfectionists and almost over talented.
Itīs going to be very interesting to hear what they will come up with next.
The only thing i donīt like so much is the dull cover, so nine out of ten from me.
[SoT WM: Edited for content]
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Unifaun: Unifaun
Posted by Steve Ullom on 2008-09-06 10:39:54
My Score:
As a fan of Genesis since Gabriel, I find this CD to be both an inspired recreation of the old Genesis song as well as an honest creation on its own terms for 2008. It's all there...quirky stories, an evocative atmosphere, catchy melodies. There is real musicianship and composition here. The instruments are well-played, and the vocals fit well. This ia a CD that needs to be listened to!
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Unifaun: Unifaun
Posted by Nic Caciappo on 2008-09-05 14:41:49
My Score:
A friend of mine said that UNIFAUN is like finding an oasis in the desert. There have been many who have tried to follow Genesis and capture that classic sound. UNIFAUN are the best, in fact, better than what Genesis has done since 1976. This is the long-lost Genesis album. This is the record they should've made after Wind & Wuthering but instead let Hackett escape and never really replaced the loss of the Genesis guitar sound. UNIFAUN's album reminded me what it was like to go into a record store and locate a great prog album, and a new Genesis album without letting me down like And Then There Were Three did. The great thing is that UNIFAUN are doing music that stands on it's own. Nad's vocals are fantastic and full of expression and emotion, not only like Gabriel or Collins, but also like Fish formerly of Marillion. Nasal? If you don't like Nad's voice then you couldn't possibly like Collins' or Gabriel's or Fish's... or Van Morrison or Cat Stevens or a host of many brilliant singers. The epic "Quest" is right up there with Supper's Ready, Close to the Edge, and Karn Evil 9 as one of the great epics in prog. Don't deny yourself this album, just because one doesn't get it. : )
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Unifaun: Unifaun
Posted by Mathias Stein on 2008-09-04 22:35:02
My Score:
Funny how our ears differ! I have had this cd now for 4 weeks and it keeps growing and growing. I find Nadīs voice quite stunning, and very beautiful at times. Itīs amazing how he can sound the way he does, a mixture of both sides of the Genesis coin. I hear Gabriel, I hear Collins and maybe someone else...thatīs right, Nad Sylvan!
I cannot agree very much with your review at all. Having read most of the reviews off of
Unifaunīs website, this one is the poorest of them all. Really negative.
Hope there will be another album, but knowing it took them 4 years to record this
one, maybe that might be too much to hope for.
Mathias
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Unifaun: Unifaun
Posted by frank urbaniak on 2008-09-03 19:48:51
My Score:
hard to be as critical as the posted review. being an old guy who saw genesis pre and post gabriel on almost every tour, i find that this cd brings me back to a special time. my group of progressive listening friends all enjoy this as well and find less to be critical of on the vocals. it reminds me of a time, and of how powerful the genesis influence is on much of what we listen to today. i think the production is great, and the spirit is well captured in these recordings. no way out and the farm, along with question of virtue hold together really well and capture the genesis feel perfectly. highly recommended!
flu
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