Friday 20 October 2017

World Trade - Unify (2017)


The third album from this US band.

World Trade is a quartet with a lineup of bass, guitars, drums, keyboards and vocals.

World Trade was and is the band of the Yes bassist and solo-artist Billy Sherwood. World Trade released their self-titled debut album back in 1989 and the follow up album Euphoria in 1995. Both albums has bypassed me.
Billy Sherwood left the band in year 2000 and went solo. And then joined Yes.

But World Trade was resurrected again and has released this album. I got a promo copy emailed to me... Hence this review.

I was fearing a bland AOR album. Or even worse; a bland progressive rock album. I was mistaken.

Billy Sherwood, probably the leading light in this band, has taken some good influences from his employer Yes and fused it with some AOR and straight rock.

From the first tone of this album, my worst fears are vanishing. OK, there is lots of AOR here. But no progressive metal. And the album is a bit symphonic prog edgy AOR too.

It is obvious that the musicians here..... and in particular the vocalist and songwriter Billy Sherwood, of whom I have never been a fan..... before now..... are truly classy musicians and song-writers. All songs, hooks and vocal harmonies are straight on the money.

That said, there are no really great songs here. There are no sparkle and no surprises here. But this fifty album is still a good album, well worth checking out. Do so.

3 points

 

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