This is the second album from this Swedish trio, who comprise Mikael Askemur (vocals, bass, keys, and guitars), Sven Larsson (guitar) and Jonas Thurén (drums). It has been a few years since the debut, but the wait has been worthwhile as here we have yet another solid symphonic prog album that also contains a few elements of AOR and happily straddles both camps. The vocals are very strong, and the music is very powerful indeed with the band certainly understanding the need of dynamics and creating music that has plenty of holes in it which allows the different elements to shine through. There is never the impression that they are a trio, and also never the feeling that this is a small band working for a specialist Canadian label as this is music that is full of confidence, as if the band were already major players in the market. This was the first non-Canadian act to be signed to the label, and this album has certainly repaid the confidence that Michel St-Père had in getting them onboard. Powerful and full of impact, this is something that fans of Marillion and IQ will certainly get a lot out of. It is possible to listen to some of the music by visiting the Unicorn website, so why immerse yourselves in some great progressive rock music.
Xinema - Basic Communication (English version)
, Kev Rowland
