The band released the EP Ignition and their first studio album Unisonic in 2012. The EP For the Kingdom and the second album Light of Dawn came out in 2014. Both studio albums have scored high entries in several international music charts. Unisonic is the first full studio collaboration between Kiske and Hansen since Helloween's albums Keeper of the Seven Keys: Part I and Part II.
Vocalist Michael Kiske (Helloween), bassist Dennis Ward (Pink Cream 69) and drummer Kosta Zafiriou (ex-Pink Cream 69) had already worked together in the AOR project Place Vendome. After the release of Place Vendome's second album, Streets of Fire in 2009, the aforementioned musicians decided to work together and form a new band. Dennis Ward suggested the recruitment of Swiss guitarist Mandy Meyer (Asia, Gotthard, Krokus). Mandy Meyer commented on the band's name: "There were so many ideas for a name and everybody liked Unisonic at the end. It fits to our band. United musicians from different backgrounds and countries". Unisonic began their first tour in June 2010, playing some warm-up shows in Germany and performing at the Sweden Rock Festival and the Masters of Rock Festival. These were the first live shows of Michael Kiske since his departure from Helloween in 1993.
Another former Helloween member, guitarist Kai Hansen (Gamma Ray), joined the band in March 2011. The new line-up performed its first show in Loud Park Festival (Japan) on 15 October 2011. In January 2012, the band released its first EP titled Ignition, through EarMusic (Edel AG), together with a video for the song "Unisonic". The band's self-titled debut album was released on 30 March 2012 and entered several international music charts, scoring the highest points on the Finnish albums chart, Japanese albums chart, German albums chart and Swedish albums chart.
Unisonic embarked on their first world tour in May 2012 playing in South America and in various European music festivals, such as Masters of Rock, Hellfest, Rock Hard and Gods of Metal among others. The second half of the tour included concerts in Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Russia, Spain and Germany.
The band's second EP, For the Kingdom, came out in May 2014, the video for the song "Exceptional" followed in July, while their second album, Light of Dawn, was released on 1 August 2014. Light of Dawn entered several international music charts, scoring the highest entries on the Finnish albums chart, German albums chart, Swiss albums chart, Czech albums chart and Japanese albums chart. The band embarked on a summer festival tour in July 2014, performing at Masters Of Rock, Leyendas del Rock, Moscow Metal Meeting and Bang Your Head among others. A Japanese and European tour together with Edguy followed, while the band's final show was at the Knock Out Festival in December 2014.
On 5 August 2016 the band performed their first show at Wacken Open Air, which was recorded and released under the title Live in Wacken on 21 July 2017. On 6 September 2016 Kosta Zafiriou announced his retirement as a professional drummer, remaining only in his job as Unisonic's manager.
In an interview with Brazilian journalist Gastão Moreira, Kai Hansen said that the band is dead since 2017, when he and Michael Kiske reunited with Helloween.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unisonic_(band)
Studio albums
Ignition (2012; EP)
Unisonic (2012)
For the Kingdom (2014; EP)
Light of Dawn (2014)
Live in Wacken (2017; Live Album)
Star Rider
Unisonic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and all the senses are aware
The drama mounts, the camera's on
there is a tension in the air
All system go, t minus nine
and vapor soars across the sun
He's lifting up to the divine
the thunder shakes him like a gun
Star rider – star rider
heeding the call
Out in the heavens
one and for all
He's lifting up and looking out
over the mountains down below
(Raise your hands)
He's got to prove, beyond a doubt
there is a space that we should know
(It's such a grand illusion)
And then the light becomes the dark
home is so very far away
(Got to stake your claim)
The second stage left on the mark
(Right on the mark)
And all that's left is just to pray
(Gonna be what you wanna be)
Make the day!
(Following the truth following the)
Star rider – star rider
heeding the call
Out in the heavens
one and for all
It's all that I wanna be
so much that I can't believe
It's magic!
It's all that I wanna be
so much that I can't believe
It's all that I wanna be
so much that I can't believe
(Show me)
There's more than the eye can see
far behind the sun…
Star rider – star rider
heeding the call
Out in the heavens
one and for all
The song "Star Rider" by Unisonic begins with a dark and tense atmosphere as the singer describes the moments leading up to a launch into space. The singer of the song is just about to take off and is keenly aware of the spectacle and danger of it all. The sense of urgency is heightened by the countdown, the vapor, and the thunder.
As the song progresses, the singer reveals the singer's motivation for this journey - the need to explore and discover the universe beyond our planet. He is looking out over the mountains and realizes that there is a vast unknown out there. There is a grand illusion that they must break through, and the singer is propelled by a desire to make that happen. As he leaves the atmosphere and heads towards the stars, he is filled with a sense of wonder and awe. He has staked his claim and is determined to make the journey of a lifetime.
The song's chorus hammers home the idea that the singer is not alone in this mission. He is part of a larger mission, a larger quest, to explore and discover the secrets of the universe. The chorus invites the listener to join in and be a part of this journey, to be a star rider.
Line by Line Meaning
The sky is dark , it's nearing dawn
It is early morning where the darkness of the night is fading away and the new day is about to start.
and all the senses are aware
The person is alert and conscious of all their surroundings and sensations.
The drama mounts, the camera's on
The situation becomes more intense and exciting, as if it was part of a movie being filmed.
there is a tension in the air
There is a feeling of anxiety and anticipation that is palpable and can be sensed.
All system go, t minus nine
Everything is ready to proceed, and there is only a countdown of nine seconds left until lift-off.
and vapor soars across the sun
As the spacecraft makes its way into the sky, the exhaust fumes from the engines are visible against the sun.
He's lifting up to the divine
The person is ascending to the heavens and reaching for a higher power, beyond the physical world.
the thunder shakes him like a gun
The sound of thunder is so loud and powerful that it feels like the force of a gunshot.
All for one –
Everyone involved in this space mission is working together toward a common goal.
Star rider – star rider
The individual who is traveling in space is being referred to as a 'star rider.'
heeding the call
The 'star rider' is responding to a calling or a mission that he has been given.
Out in the heavens
The 'star rider' is out exploring the vastness of space.
one and for all
Everyone is united and working together on this adventurous mission.
He's lifting up and looking out
The 'star rider' is rising higher into space, and he is gazing outward at the world below.
over the mountains down below
The 'star rider' is flying over a range of mountains that are visible from space.
(Raise your hands)
This is a moment of excitement and victory, and it calls for people to raise their hands up high.
He's got to prove, beyond a doubt
The 'star rider' has a responsibility to demonstrate something convincingly and unmistakably.
there is a space that we should know
The 'star rider' believes that there is a particular area of space that humans need to understand better.
(It's such a grand illusion)
This ambitious space mission and exploration is both an incredible opportunity and a somewhat deceptive or misleading journey.
And then the light becomes the dark
As the 'star rider' ventures deeper into space, the light of the Earth fades away into darkness.
home is so very far away
The 'star rider' is acutely aware of how distant and remote Earth is at this stage of the journey.
(Got to stake your claim)
This is a moment of decisiveness and commitment, and the 'star rider' must take ownership of this mission.
The second stage left on the mark
The second part of the takeoff process has begun right on time as planned.
(Right on the mark)
The timing and execution of the space mission has been precise and accurate until this point.
And all that's left is just to pray
As the 'star rider' travels deeper into space, there is little left to do but hope and rely on prayer for a successful outcome.
(Gonna be what you wanna be)
The 'star rider' is determined to become the person and achieve the goals that he wishes to fulfill.
Make the day!
This is a call to action and a challenge to make this day one of achievement and success.
(Following the truth following the)
The 'star rider' is guided by truth and honesty, and he will follow these principles in his space mission.
It's all that I wanna be
Being a 'star rider' is the ultimate ambition and desire of the person who is heading into space.
so much that I can't believe
The opportunity to be a 'star rider' is almost too good to be true, and the person can scarcely believe that it's happening.
It's magic!
The experience of being a 'star rider' is like experiencing something magical and unreal.
There's more than the eye can see
The 'star rider' is discovering things in space that are beyond what is visible or apparent to the naked eye.
far behind the sun…
There are secrets and mysteries of the universe that are hidden and concealed far away from the Earth and the sun.
Contributed by Grace C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.