UMUR
"Strength" is the second full-length studio album by US heavy/gothic metal act Unto Others. The album was released through Roadrunner Records in September 2021. It´s the successor to "Mana" from February 2021. "Mana" was however first released under the Idle Hands monicker in May 2019, but as Idle Hands opted to change their name to Unto Others in 2020, they also chose to re-release their debut full-length studio album under the Unto Others monicker. It´s exactly the same album released under two different monickers though. Since the first album bassist Brandon Hill has been added to the lineup making Unto Others a quartet on this release.
Stylistically the material on "Strength" is a continuation of the heavy/gothic metal style of "Mana". Lead vocalist/guitarist/keyboard player Gabriel Franco has a voice and and vocal style right out of the 80s UK pop/rock/gothic music scene (spiced up with the occasionally more raw heavy metal vocals) and artists like The Mission, Sisters of Mercy, and Fields of the Nephilim are all valid references (The Cure should be mentioned too). Unto Others combine the gothic rock style with some energetic and melodic traditional heavy metal though, and that combination gives "Strength" (and "Mana" before it) a relatively unique sound.
"Strength" features some effective and memorable vers/chorus based songwriting, but Unto Others are clever composers who understand that songs typically need a little more than that and therefore most songs feature at least one section with harmony guitars, a guitar solo, or another detail to spice things up (double pedal drumming is another unconventional feature in music like this). The band are a well playing unit and Franco´s voice and personal delivery are the unique elements which elevate the band´s music to a higher state. "Strength" features a well sounding and professional sound production too, so upon conclusion it´s a high quality sophomore studio album from Unto Others and a continuation of the promises made on "Mana". A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.
