"BEAUTIFUL SIN" is yet another project featuring Uli Kusch, a drummer who has participated in such legendary bands as Masterplan, Shock Machine, Sinner (guest), Helloween, GAMMA RAY, HOLY MOSES, Roland Grapow, BEAUTIFUL SIN, and Axe La Chapelle. BEAUTIFUL SIN is currently the top priority in the 40-year-old musician's creative career.
Besides Uli, the recording of the debut album and the core lineup feature guitarist Jorn Viggo Lofstad and bassist Steinar Krokmo from the Norwegian power metal act PAGAN'S MIND, MASTERPLAN keyboardist Axel Mackenrott, and Belgian vocalist Magali Luyten. Incidentally, Kusch had wanted to record an album with Magali several years ago, but only after leaving MASTERPLAN did this opportunity become more realistic.
The music of BEAUTIFUL SIN is nothing other than modern European power metal with a light touch of '80s heavy metal flavor and husky female vocals. Among existing bands, the only analogy I can draw is with DORO — and not only because of the similarity in the women's voices (and judging by the photos in the booklet, they are about the same age as well). Standout songs include "Lost" (a remake of "The Departed" written by Uli for HELLOWEEN's "Dark Ride" album), "The Spark of Ignition" — featuring an original chorus with practically male growling and a magnificent several-minute instrumental passage at the end, and the decent ballad "Closer to My Heart," whose lead acoustic melody is reminiscent of Robert Miles' "Children." Unfortunately, beyond these songs, the rest of the material is rather gray and faceless, and the absence of bright choruses and melodies is quite disappointing.
The russian edition features a bonus track — a Spanish-language version of "This Is Not the Original Dream" with the new title "Le Reve Originel." The player shows that the song runs 2 minutes longer than the original, but this information is deceptive, since for the last two minutes Kusch and company decided to have some fun and recorded rooster crows and chicken clucking from a poultry farm over a classical instrumental passage. The most original and amusing moment on the disc!