Trust Your Soul X Anniversary Edition

Honestly ladies and gentlemen, the best soundtrack to a lovely walk around the park with your golden retriever is Trust Your Soul, the second album from Ukranian power metallers, Sunrise. So much about this album is so full of pep that it could very well be the metal equivalent of Wham! Whether it’s fluttering through with double kicks and palm mutes galore or it opts for a more mid-paced approach, damn near every single melody is full of the kind of feel-good joy that it elevates the mood of the room around you. All of this is particularly emphasized by the standout hit, “All This Time” – a cavalcade of late-90s and early-2000s Europower tropes cut from the same cloth as their western cousins, Sonata Arctica and Stratovarius, all manifesting into a densely melodic affectation that seeps into your head and will not leave you the fuck alone. By the end, its energetic composition glows like a fresh sunrise on a beautiful day.

The secret majesty behind this album are in the melodies. I swear, there are like five different hooks working throughout each song. Carefully timed chords working in sync with a kinetic keyboard melody while frontman Laars throws out this infectious vocal melody, all backed up by drumming with a real kick, is only the beginning. Oftentimes, where other bands would simply play out the song as expected, Sunrise take it a step further with all kinds of subtle instrumentation that just worm their way into your subconscious. A riff here, a solo there, that are inconspicuously implemented; seemingly simple, yet effective in further hooking you into the song with a rather grabby inclination. It’s like these extra little notes from the guitar, keyboard, piano or vocals that roll right off the main melody ever so eloquently. Like a bunch of smaller melodies that stand out on their own terms, constructing a grander one that really fucking pops! While many of the melodies are familiar of the aforementioned Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica, Sunrise elevate them into a motherfucking art form.

If there’s any kind of weakness here, it’s the pacing. Not so much in them putting their best foot forward and having it decline over time, but more in how it declines over time. Something that shows more here, since the album’s over an hour long. The first eight tracks are an absolute delight – straight up 10/10 power metal. Between the kinetic shredding of “Man in the World”, the bounciness of “You and Me” and “Hey!”, the infectiousness of “Trust Your Soul”s main melody and “Dreamer Online”s pep, the out and out energetic “All This Time”, it’s an absolute potpourri of every addicting quality of that sound. “Love Will Set You Free” manages to be a captivating spectacle that shows off their melodic skills while working with more emotional stakes and a more sprawling composition resulting in a real earworm of a melody, with a kind of smoothness equalled only by a freshly sanded piece of wood.

In contrast, the two ballads towards the end are basically non-descript outside of Laars’ expert vocal lines and a couple of beautiful guitar solos in “Tell Me Why”. They just about destroy the momentum of the album established by the prior eight tracks. I mean, they’re competent enough… on a basic fundamental level. You know, beginning, middle and end. Catchy enough chorus thanks to Laars. But other than the aforementioned bits, nothing really happens. The only bit of mercy is that in-between them is “Forgotten Secrets”, which brings us back to business, only to end on a rather middling note with “Invisible Place”. While Sunrise had largely schooled the master, Sonata Arctica definitely have them beat on ballads, let’s just say that much.

Lame ballads aside, Trust Your Soul is a damn, damn, damn good album. At a time where power metal sunk from being in a slump (I-I’m sure Gamma Ray’s next album will be the real deal!) to being in decline, Sunrise rise above expectations to create some truly powerful material with a kind of magic that really brings these melodies to life. Said melodies are written with the kind of intricate precision even most prog bands couldn’t cut, with just the right notes and accents to make them stick out in a subtle way. All of which is performed with the kind of feel-good charisma that especially helps them to stand tall. Basically, Trust Your Soul is as pure as the dress on the album art!

Back in the days of the power metal Renaissance, it was a wonder to behold. It was interesting to see groups throw together punchy riffs, glittery keys and semi-masculine falsettos letting loose tales of fantasy worlds gone by while still being able to maintain enough heaviness to not be completely laughed at by some of the more elite of elitists. But when the glut came (and it always does, it seems...), nothing grand was brought forth from third-tier also-rans stealing the same riffs and air-raid-siren vocals that were all the rage some ten years prior to their learning their instruments. Still, time has a way of making things right again, and this listener was able to find newer power metal acts that had enough originality and songwriting skills to, possibly, bring it all back to the forefront.

And in my latest searches, I found this Sunrise group, and, not wanting to judge a book (or rather, album) by its cover, I popped this in and wondered what they had in store for me...

There's bouncy, there's bubbly, and then, in Sunrise's case, there's downright HAPPY sounding. Seriously...I've had my ears full of power metal pretty regularly for the past number of months, but I'd not heard a band with such a big collective smile on their equally collective faces. This Ukrainian thunderfuck of a group do the seemingly unthinkable and are able to inject so much positivity in their music that just listening to "Trust Your Soul" may have you question just what kind of jag off you've become and what you can do to be a bit more colorful in the long run, so inspirational and infectious are their hooks and extreme lack of anger and hate. That's a great thing, believe it or not; consistent exposure to bitter, venomous musical groups are draining on the spirit, and sometimes you just don't want to be downtrodden or depressed. That's where these guys come in; sunshine (hence the band name…), clear skies, and an inspirational pat on the back are what's in store for you in "Trust Your Soul".

I know it sounds like I'm selling it a bit too much, but in all seriousness, there hasn't been an album that's pricked and provoked what little bit of happiness I still have inside me this much since...well, EVER. And the message isn't the only grand aspect about this record; the music itself spits and fizzles with tasty harmonies, upbeat tempos, and enough heaviness for this listener to remember that "dammit, we're STILL a METAL BAND!", complete with epic and bouncy riffs, embracing keyboard lines, those always necessary double bass-filled drum beats and soothing, soaring operatic vocals, all of which just drip with Euro-Power mastery. It's a fine day to see this kind of style getting the justice it hasn't had in so many years, and the powerful, even if sugary, likes of "All This Time", "Love Will Se You Free" and "Tell Me Why" have all the staying power you'd ever need.

At the end of the day, Sunrise surprised me with their happy take on metal music, all the while still able to keep things heavy and memorable. This little doozy is a bit hard to find on the market, but trust me (and your soul), it's worth seeking out.

This is an amazing piece of melodic metal – I don’t know what these guys did; made a deal with the devil or whatever, but I hope they keep on doing it. Sunrise are a Ukranian band, this is their second album titled Trust Your Soul, and it is absolutely stunning. There aren’t many big melodic metal bands from Ukraine at all, but if this is any indication, I hope more pop up in the next few years.

The basic sound is something like a slightly heavier, more midpaced Stratovarius or a less hyperactive version of old Sonata Arctica. The sound is one of rich, lush melodies, sweetened, hook-filled vocal lines and long, pounding epic tunes that surprisingly do not wear out their welcome. The band incorporates some syncopated pop-style hooks and melodies into their songwriting, and they’re really good at it, as each song is memorable after one listen and does not get dull after ten. They eschew the stereotype of disposable, cheap pop music and make each song enchanting and intense, memorable and singular. You can play one song by itself or the whole album together and it’s good no matter what.

These are seriously addictive, hooky tunes that never came out of my head for months, and the band has some serious chops that are way beyond most garden variety power metal bands. Listen to the tight rhythms and excellent, searing melodies of the title track, or the awesome “All This Time.” “Man in the World” is blazingly fast and intense, with some excellent guitar harmonies behind the wailing, high-flying power metal chorus. The band gets more ambitious later on, with the sprawling 8 minute “Love Will Set You Free,” a midtempo tune with excellent flowing melodic work and palpable nostalgic, wistful atmosphere and feeling. There are some prog tendencies in the complex vocal layering and chorus work of songs like “Dreamer Online” and “Hey,” which has some of the best incorporation of pop stylings I’ve ever heard in the metal genre. “Relax” is another burner…hell, the first 8 songs are more or less untouchably good.

I don’t quite think the last few songs are up to the cut, and the band does over-extend their welcome when the album reaches near-70 minutes, but this much good material from an unknown band from Ukraine of all places is just amazing. The songs are a little on the longish side, too, but that’s not a huge deterrent. I think this band has a real masterpiece in their future somewhere, and if they can resist the urge to pile on 70 minutes of music next time, they will put out an album that is endlessly replayable. They’ve got chops, and I for one can’t wait to see what they do next. Highly recommended.

Originally written for http://www.metalcrypt.com

As with most melodic metal bands that I check out on a whim, I never actually listen to any samples or Myspace pages or anything else before taking the plunge into the album itself and, in Sunrise's case, as my score should imply, I was beyond just being pleasantly surprised (awed is more like it), to say the least! ... beginning with the mid-paced title cut - Trust Your Soul - the Ukrainians showcase a crisp, clear production that isn't far off from the most professionally produced albums of the genre (Sonata Arctica, Edguy and so on) and, considering the fact that these guys are rather underrated and quite unknown (to my knowledge, anyway), well, I was quite shocked to hear the album sound as fantastic as it does.

In essence, though, does production matter that much? - after all, it's the music, composition and arrangement that makes an album an album, whether it's a home-recorded demo or a large-scale production with orchestras and choirs so, when it comes to what is truly important, does Sunrise have what it takes? ... AYE! ... so, getting back to the title track for a second, it's a beautiful and inspiring melodic metal song with a rather positive message and, furthermore, a wonderful outro that hit me quite hard, for one reason or another; I'd like to add that it's refreshing to hear a power metal record start with a non-speed song (especially when it works) that still possesses the kind of opener impact that the more blazing cuts usually do (far, far too many to name, as any power metal guru would know). All This Time follows and, yes, this is a speedy power metal song through-and-through, reminding me of some of Finland's mighty power metal offerings (mid-career Stratovarius, early Sonata Arctica and Celesty, for example) with, you guessed it, the same standard of exceptional quality.

Okay, so speaking of Finland, the keyboards on this record are absolutely gorgeous, icy and cold - as we've heard from the Finns on more than a couple of occasions - and the selections of synthetic sounds throughout the album really accent the compositions more-than well, adding a whole new layer of class to the already classy songs. I've already highlighted two songs, and I'm not about to do a song-by-song review for everyone's sake, however, I'd like to note a couple other tracks that are worth looking out for, assuming/hoping you're interested in this album at this point. Man In The World is, for my own personal tastes, the best of the speedy songs on the album, utilizing amazing vocal melodies (Konstantin has quite a strong voice, by the way) with soaring guitar/synth lines and solos, roaring double-bass and, overall, the kind of magic that only a power metal song of such a standard can produce - truly a masterpiece! I also like the album closer quite a bit - Invisible Place - through it's more mellow and progressive than most of the album and, lastly, the sixth cut - Dreamer Online - which has some of the most irresistible synth I've heard in quite some time.

All-in-all, if you're looking for some first-rate melodic metal that resonates with sincerity, passion and class, Sunrise is your one-way ticket to satisfaction, undoubtedly; ... think the audible aesthetics of early Sonata Arctica mixed with the atmosphere of Labyrinth's Return To Heaven Denied, throw in a bit of Slavonic goodness and you've got an idea of just how damn good Sunrise's Trust Your Soul is, however, it has to be heard to be believed, as with most awe-inspiring albums, so I'd suggest listening sooner than later, indeed. Highly, highly recommended!