A far more rounded effort than its patchy predecessor.

Writing as a long-standing George Lynch aficionado, 'Only To Rise' – Sweet & Lynch's debut from January 2015 – delivered two landmark songs that stand amongst the finest of his thirty-five year recording career. Thanks to Lynch's wailing, steroidal Blues licks and a compelling chorus – courtesy of co-collaborator Michael Sweet of Stryper – 'Dying Rose' is the best straightforward rocker that the guitarist has put his name to since Dokken's eighties glory days, while the spine-tingling 'Me Without You' is a gorgeous, haunting ballad. Is it better than Dokken's 'Alone Again'? Yes, I'd say! The trouble is, the rest of the record felt a touch half-baked and rushed by comparison...

Now close to three years on, how does 'Unified' compare? Rollicking opener 'Promised Land' rides a double bass drum salvo courtesy of Brian Tichy (who returns from '...Rise' alongside bassist James Lomenzo) and the schizophrenic 'Walk' goes from sounding like The Black Crow's 'Hard To Handle' to an audacious homage to Queen at their prime seventies pomp! 'Afterlife' is rather badass; it's a doomy, foreboding grower with a sinister bridge that's followed by a nasty-then-euphoric solo from Mr. Scary himself, while Sweet's lyrics are surprisingly close to those of his Stryper heartland.

'Make Your Mark' has an interesting guitar/bass/wall-of-synths sound with the midsection riff being strongly reminiscent of 'Come On 'N' Love Me' by XYZ. Four-stringer Lomenzo treads the perfect balance of doing service to the song first and foremost whilst adding tasty embellishments that listening bassists will pick up on, as epitomised on the soulful 'Tried & True'.

In summary, 'Unified' is a far more rounded effort than its patchy predecessor and sounds like a cohesive band effort that was written without a pressing deadline.
In my George Lynch Expert's Guide a year ago (issue #77), I wrote of '...Rise', "A follow-up has been confirmed – more thrillers, less fillers next time please gents?"... and I thought that nobody ever listened to me.

Caesar Barton