Unheilig – Grosse Freiheit (2010)
Große Freiheit (English “Great Freedom”) is the 7th studio album of Unheilig. It was released on February 19, 2010 in two editions: standard that consists of 14 tracka and Fanbox Edition boxset. Fanbox Edition boxset has a circulation of 5000 copies and it also includes 176-page autobiography that tells us about Der Graf and his first musical attempts up to the last album “Grosse Freiheit”. This book is written very intimate and immerses the reader in an exciting journey into the everyday life and work of Der Graf.
This album is rich in innovations which are typical for Unheilig. The band did not record something extraordinary or phenomenal – the songs on Grosse Freiheit aren’t differ greatly from the songs of the band from the previuos albums. Considering the album as a whole, I can mention that it is one of the best CD by Unheilig. Unheilig has long improved and now the band deserves more. We needed an album including hits for all tastes. And Grosse Freiheit became such an album. In the album there are melodic songs such as “Das Meer” and “Geboren um zu leben”. Magnificent video clip was shot for the last one, more than 1 million people watched it on youtube.
The album starts with the stunning intro “Das Meer”. Actually, it is not quite correct to call this song intro – in my opinion, it is completely self-sufficient song with incredible arrangements and singing in the authentic manner. It is a pretty good start! I guess, it could be a perfect soundtrack for an epic film. The next song titled “Seenot” starts with the pretty impressive guitar riffs. “Geboren um zu leben” is a hit for all time, with interesting melody and incredible lyrics. “Abwaerts” features a hard guitar riff and a melodic chorus. “Halt mich” is almost “Geboren um zu leben”, but a bit worse. I can note “Ich gehöre mir” because of the harsh vocals in the chorus. “Heimatstern” is insanely beautiful song. I liked less the song “Unter Deiner Flagge”, but the band often perform it at concerts. It sounds very romantic live. And in general, we can note a tendency to use electronics and synths. And, finally, the most interesting. The lyrics are really incredible. The songs can touch the soul of anyone. Good vocal, interesting arrangements, intelligent lyrics, high-quality recording – everything is there. The album brought the long-awaited glory to the band and its founder. Unheilig continues to record high-quality albums, pleasing their fans. To summarize, I can say that it is an excellent and very high quality musical material, that must be highly appreciated…