Total stopgap here, which is fine – hard to mess with the Kiske/Hansen combo, which for you neophytes, is Michael Kiske and Kai Hansen of the oh-so-glorious Keeper-era Helloween fame. The band’s 2012 self-titled debut was well-received, thus allowing Kiske to rejoin the metal ranks, something he’d been reluctant to do since the mid-90’s. With the goodwill free-flowing (and apparently, the creativity), the band’s sophomore full-length should see the light of day by summer’s end. At the present time, this tidy little EP in the form of For the Kingdom should do just fine.
Comprised of two new jams, and four live cuts, the focus of For the Kingdom falls upon the title track, and “You Come Undone.” Given the title track’s up-tick in metallic qualities, one should surmise this is the route the band will take with the full-length. Naturally, double-bass and Kiske are a match made in heaven, specifically here, where the singer’s ever-melodic soul is the capper for an excellent new cut. “You Come Undone” is terribly far behind, a snappy, crunchy mid-tempo jaunt with a soaring chorus to round things out.
The live jams (“Unisonic,” “Never Too Late,” “Star Rider,” and “Souls Alive”) are suitably vibrant, most notably “Unisonic” and “Star Rider,” both of which have translated well enough to become crowd sing-alongs. In all, For the Kingdom simply whets the melodic metal appetite for another ‘go-round from Unisonic, who should continue to bask in high praise that is so warranted. Plus, any opportunity to hear the golden pipes of Kiske is one that shouldn’t be passed up…