Customer Reviews

Readiness to Sacrifice

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is Michaek Kiske's second solo album. If "Instant Clarity" was different from what he was doing in Helloween, this album is further away from "Instant Clarity"...This album is more oriented to pop-rock. You'll find an electric-acoustic guitar base on all songs. This album is softer...In general, the atmosphere is calm, and is an excellent album to listen to if you're studying or as background if you're doing something else...What I love of Michael Kiske(not mentioning his voice, of course) is that he shows lots of feelings in his songs, that seem to be written directly from the heart. We are not talking about fast songs or heavy songs. Cool and melancholic would be better..."Could cry" is the first song, has a mid tempo with violins...This is a happy song, like "Ban'em"..."Easy" and "Shadowfights" (with the orchestra) are cool and epic ballads..They remind me Helloween's "Longing"..."It" has an alternative rock riff..."Crosstown", "Out of homes", and "It" can be considered the "fast songs" in the album...
The album has lots of different emotions and feelings, like "Watch your blue" (reminds me Helloween's "In the night")if you want to lift your spirit up, or "Where wishes fly" if you want to get deppressed...
If you love Michael Kiske singing "Eagle fly free"s chorus, this is not the album for you. You won't find "great" songs, but they were written with the heart...Give it a try!!

This is Kiske's second solo album. It's a mix between Rock, Pop, and great ballads.

First song is "Could Cry" which has a lovely beginning where there's a mix between the bass and electric guitars. It's a really good song and it gets better while you listen to it. The second song "Ban'em" is the best for me and it features an incredible end. The first time I heard it, I had the impression that it was like a country song based on the guitars. It has an awesome chorus. The song starts slow but it changes and continues with a intense sound towards the end. The next song is "Philistine City" which is a melancholic song with a country sound like the last song. The fourth song "Crosstown" is a rock song with a nice chorus.

The album continues with the ballad "Where Wishes Fly." It's a wonderful song that has the same level without the typical "up and downs" like the most ballads. The next song is "Watch Your Blue" and it's one of my favourites on this album. It rocks!! In this song, the voice and guitars have a lot of emphasis...pretty cool song. "Out of Homes" is good song where the production stands out. It reminds me of another band called Crowded House. "It" is another rock song and maybe the hardest song of the album. "Easy" is one of the two songs with an orchestra. The song starts with Michi's voice and a piano. After a while you realize that Michi reaches a high pitch without any problems. Here he shows his "4 octaves" hahaha. The orchestral arrangement is very good. The last song on the album is "Shadowfight." This a symphonic song like ''Easy'' but maybe it's better than "Easy" as it's more elaborate and the lyrics & music are great.

The best part of this album is that all of the songs are different. I think this album is more "Kiske" than the first. My advice is before you hear the album, you forget the Helloween-Kiske era. There is nothing similar between Helloween and Kiske albums. The cover is great as it's a picture about a modern crucifixion.

Readiness To Sacrifice proves that Michael Kiske has really changed his musical preferences since the time he was in Helloween. On his first solo album "Instant Clarity" he already showed that he departs from heavy/power metal, concentrating more on hard rock and AOR type songs, while putting out a truly fantastic album.

On this album he continues with more mellow, deep and emotional songs, showing that he has really matured as a vocalist and songwriter. Most songs fall in the AOR category, others have a alternative rock vibe and some have a more orchestral and classical feel. Throughout the album Kiske's voice shines, delivering a magnificent performance filled with crystal clear and varying vocals. Stand out songs include the alternative rocker "Watch Your Blue", the wonderful ballad "Where Wishes Fly" and the brilliant orchestral oriented tracks "Easy" and "Shadowfights", were Kiske uses his famous sustained high pitched notes.

Whoever enjoys the vocals and songwriting of Michael Kiske will surely like the majority of this record, as it is a mature and emotional release. There aren't as many highlights here as there were in "Instant Clarity", but this is still Michael Kiske's second best and most emotional solo album up to now.

This is Kiske's second solo album. It's a mix between Rock, Pop, and great ballads.

First song is "Could Cry" which has a lovely beginning where there's a mix between the bass and electric guitars. It's a really good song and it gets better while you listen to it. The second song "Ban'em" is the best for me and it features an incredible end. The first time I heard it, I had the impression that it was like a country song based on the guitars. It has an awesome chorus. The song starts slow but it changes and continues with a intense sound towards the end. The next song is "Philistine City" which is a melancholic song with a country sound like the last song. The fourth song "Crosstown" is a rock song with a nice chorus.

The album continues with the ballad "Where Wishes Fly." It's a wonderful song that has the same level without the typical "up and downs" like the most ballads. The next song is "Watch Your Blue" and it's one of my favourites on this album. It rocks!! In this song, the voice and guitars have a lot of emphasis...pretty cool song. "Out of Homes" is good song where the production stands out. It reminds me of another band called Crowded House. "It" is another rock song and maybe the hardest song of the album. "Easy" is one of the two songs with an orchestra. The song starts with Michi's voice and a piano. After a while you realize that Michi reaches a high pitch without any problems. Here he shows his "4 octaves" hahaha. The orchestral arrangement is very good. The last song on the album is "Shadowfight." This a symphonic song like ''Easy'' but maybe it's better than "Easy" as it's more elaborate and the lyrics & music are great.

The best part of this album is that all of the songs are different. I think this album is more "Kiske" than the first. My advice is before you hear the album, you forget the Helloween-Kiske era. There is nothing similar between Helloween and Kiske albums. The cover is great as it's a picture about a modern crucifixion.

Micheal Kiske, formerly of legendary German metal band Helloween, is seemingly moving away from his metal roots towards a smoother AOR sound. This has upset some of his fans, but not me. Good metal abounds these days with bands like Blind Guardian, Kamelot, Iced Earth, and another little Helloween fallout by the name of Gamma Ray. But, good, intellegent, AOR is not as easy to find.The warmth and power of Kiske's voice on tracks such as "Could Cry" "Philistine City" and, my personal favorite, "Watch your Blue", along with his thoughtful lyrics and musical hooks, makes this record well worth listening to.It sure beats the cheesy movie tie in and cover songs that dominate adult contemporary radio these days.

Well there are one or two songs that may have been saved if they weren't ravaged with pop sounds....other than that this is a diaster.