Unicorn Umbrellas, nice, weird name by the way, is the project name of Beat Zimmerman's new album called Every Picture Tells A Story. After a first spin of this album I was not really impressed, however when I heard the album more often I got quite intrigued indeed and now I am almost "addicted" to this wonderful album, where the music is a mix of prog rock, fusion, art rock, symphonic rock and even pop rock. Zimmerman (keyboards) teamed up with a couple of interesting and very capable musicians, namely: Michael Sadler (vocals) from Saga, Todd Zuchermann (drums) from Styx, Zlatko Perica (guitar) from Tangerine Dream and Gola and Rene Maurer (bass guitar) also from Gola. Every Picture Tells A Story features nine tracks and they are all excellent compositions, remarkably diverse, melodic, and mostly the choruses are almost addictive. Sadler's very recognisable voice "dominates" this fantastic album, which gets better with every spin indeed! Each song is a separate frame from a movie about someone trying to understand their own story. Highlights are: The Glass Wall, Farewell (cinematic and it has a breathtaking guitar solo), The Past (beautiful keyboards, emotional vocals), Trojan Horses (impressive guitar riffs), Open Road (heartfelt vocals and again great guitar work) and the final song Once In A Lifetime. The latter is an almost 100% Saga-like song, featuring those typical guitar hooks and of course the warm and excellent vocals of Sadler! Every Picture Tells A Story is one of my favourite albums of the year 2026 already, an ambitious album, mixing cinematic storytelling with prog rock and fusion and there are absolutely no fillers on this album! Listen to it on your headphones and after a couple of spins you will be hooked, just like yours truly. Highly recommended indeed!! Listening tip: The Past! ****+ Martien Koolen (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen) Where to buy? |
