THE WEIRDEST OF TALES

In early-90's Dan Swano was deeply involed in the Death Metal scene, however this didn't slow down his work with his beloved Unicorn.In fact the band recorded another demo release in 1991, despite the dissapointment of not conveincing any record label for a contract, this was the last with the classic line-up, and it was more of a professional work, having a full-color printed cover.Its title was ''The Weirdest of Tales''.

This new demo actually continues from where ''A Collection of Worlds 2'' stopped.Grandiose still easy-listening Neo Prog-like musicianship with very energetic arrangements and accesible song structures.The guitar work of Anders Mareby remains the highlight of the band, melodic, edgy, rhythmic and deeply atmospheric at moments.The choruses are very memorable, while Swano's voice remains an acquired taste, though it often seems perfect for the overall atmosphere Unicorn created.Pianos and keyboards are still in the menu, but as with almost any Unicorn album, they do not have a basic role, but you can expect some nice flashes here and there.Very solid release, which however lacks the more powerful instrumental sections of the previous demo.

This demo was sold out pretty fast and I can see the reason why.Dynamic, catchy and highly atmospheric Neo Prog deserves some exposure and Unicorn were definitely among the representatives of the style.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.