Diversified overview with a few lengths - A review of Crematory's Unbroken

Things haven't been going well for Crematory recently due to numerous line-up changes throughout the past decade, financial difficulties and some heated online exchanges between band leader Markus Jüllich and some fans. Still, Crematory has shown lots of consistency, integrity and perseverance over the past few years and has now released its fifteenth studio album Unbroken.

The record doesn't offer anything new but summarizes the band's strengths very efficiently on fifteen entertaining tunes with a very generous running time of sixty-six minutes. ''Unbroken'' is a sinister industrial metal stomper with discordant keyboard sounds, electronically processed vocals and heavily roaring guitar riffs to open the hostilities with a bang. 

Up next comes ''Awaits Me'' that is much faster and quite melodic. It successfully introduces new clean vocalist and rhythm guitarist Connie Andreszka. 

The mellow but not shallow ''Rise and Fall'' has the greatest commercial potential on the album. It should also please fans of smoother gothic rock or even gothic pop music. 

''Behind the Wall'' introduces some Electronic Body Music elements to the band sound. It makes for an energetic but also danceable track. I could imagine this song being played in gothic discotheques around the world if it received some more promotion.

''My Dreams Have Died'' has a more epic note and calmer tones. It might be described as efficient power-ballad. This song pushes the limits of Crematory's songwriting capacities.

All other tracks on the album fit into the genres of the five tunes described above. On one side, the album delivers everything Crematory fans could be craving for. On the other side, the record becomes predictable and repetitive after a while and includes a few too many fillers. 

Personally, I'm also still having trouble digging Connie Andreszka's clean vocals. They don't sound as melodic as Matthias Hechler's or as passionate as Tosse Basler's and feel a little bit unspectacular. Perhaps, he needs some time to adapt to his dual role as rhythm guitarist and second vocalist. Time will tell whether he will end up being a good fit for the band. So far, he leaves an average impression as singer and a good impression as rhythm guitarist.

To conclude, Crematory fans will certainly like Unbroken that focuses on the band's different soundscapes and strengths that have kept the band going for three decades now. Those who have despised the band and aren't into gothic metal won't be convinced by listening to this output. If you have never listened to Crematory so far, you could start your journey with the excellent compilation Black Pearls or listen to the equally diversified but better executed studio albums Believe, Revolution or Pray. Fans of old date and collectors should pick up this record's limited boxed set with two brand new tunes, a cover version of White Lion's ''When the Children Cry'' and some alternative cuts of two songs of this album's regular version.

Final rating: 70%