Album review: EDGE OF PARADISE – The Unknown

Frontiers Music [Release date 17.09.21]

Edge Of Paradise is a duo made up of Armenian/ Russian/ American singer, “the female Robin McAuley”, Margarita Monet, and American guitarist and songwriter, Dave Bates. The Unknown is their fourth album, and second on Frontiers.

The duo have got a lot going for them. Their first two recordings were helmed by respected producers, Michael Wagener and Chuck Johnson respectively. This latest album is produced by Howard (Halestorm/Daughtry) Benson, and engineered by Mike (Van Halen/Dio) Plotnikoff.

That would be room enough to celebrate. But to find that the arrangements, the music and the performances match up to the expectations is a thrill indeed.

Monet’s multi-octave voice is gloriously hypnotic and theatrical. Not in the sense that she overdramatises her vocal performance, but in the sense that she’s not just singing, she’s acting out the part she plays.

Her sensual, breathy vocals on ‘Digital Paradise’ easily switch up through several gears as her voice soars, and on the darker toned ‘My Method Your Madness’ it eventually reaches escape velocity and rockets into orbit.

It’s passionate, articulate symphonic metal, occasionally conducting lightning raids onto hard rock terrain… ‘False Idols’ has more of a contemporary sound, faster paced and more simply constructed. It’s anchored by a solid percussive beat that latches on fast to a hard rock groove.

There’s always a lot going on in Benson’s imaginative arrangements. Much of it not always immediately obvious. He’ll drop a few bars of synth strings into the middle of a song, giving it a classy, elegant tone, or he’ll stretch out soaring strands of amazingly sustained melody, while upfront, Monet is delivering a blistering slice of raging symphonic metal.

The title track, ‘The Unknown’, is a bit like that. After starting life as an ebbing, flowing ballad, meandering through some sweet piano phrases, it’s caught up in the sudden storm of Benson’s symphonic orchestration, carrying all before it.

It’s a hard act to follow. But they try. Especially on ‘Tidal Wave’ and ‘Believe’, two songs that stake out a sizeable chunk of pop metal territory.

We’ve seen a proliferation of Symphonic Rock albums on Frontiers of late. This is unarguably one of the best. ****1/2

Review by Brian McGowan


Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Josh Taerk Sunday Sessions 2024

Latest session: Sunday 25 February
Next session: Sunday 14 April

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio



David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 25 February 2024.


UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 27 February 2024.

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com


Power Plays w/c 4 March 2024

COLLATERAL Glass Sky (Big Shot Records)
THE ZUTONS Pauline (ICEPOP)
THE GEORGIA THUNDERBOLTS Rise Above It All (Mascot)
MATT PEARCE & THE MUTINY From Here To The Moon (indie)
THE BLACK VULTURES Never Say (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 4 March 2024

09:00-12:00 LEE AARON Tattoo Me (Metalville)
12:00-13:00 THE END MACHINE The Quantum Phase (Frontiers)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023


To see our Tweets you need to be logged in to a Twitter account



Popular (last 10 days)


This entry was posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALL POSTS and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply