UNISONIC guitarist Mandy Meyer recently spoke with Metal-Trails.com. The video interview is available below (in German) along with a partial translation provided by the band's official fanclub, Souls Alive:

On performing HELLOWEEN songs in the setlist and being able to identify with them:

Mandy: "It's a lot of fun and we have to play some Helloween songs. It would be stupid not to do this since we have the original Helloween singer with us (Michael Kiske) who can still sing these songs in the original key. And I think he sounds better nowadays. Kai (Hansen) wrote the songs, so we have the right to play them."

On Unisonic as a substitute for the Andi Deris-led Helloween:

Mandy: "No I don't think so. We are Unisonic and try to avoid being a second Helloween. We must take care that there is no interest conflict, with Helloween playing Helloween songs, then Unisonic cannot play so many Helloween songs. And additionally there is also GAMMA RAY playing Helloween songs, so we have to take care of it and only the big hits like 'I Want Out'."

On the upcoming Helloween / Gamma Ray Hellish Rock tour and Unisonic as a hypothetical third band on the bill:

Mandy: "Then Kai needs to be paid twice (laughs). But if it is not too much for Kai, I can imagine this. Maybe it would be too much with Kai playing in two bands on one evening, but I think it could be possible and would be a good package."

On songwriting for Unisonic's next album:

Mandy: "This is difficult to say. With the first album we wrote many songs and I also had more songs, but we didn't know in which direction we wanted to go. In the end the best songs are chosen. I'm more used to write more blues style songs. It was totally different to wrote music for Michael Kiske. For example, Michael Kiske cannot sing songs of David Coverdale and David Coverdale cannot sing songs of Kiske, it is a totally different voice. It is a little bit easier to write songs for Coverdale, you only need some parts and the he adds his rough voice and you have the rest of the song. It is more difficult to write songs for Michael Kiske, you need more to elaborate the sound surrounding his voice like orchestration."

On the Unisonic sound:

Mandy: "We should not do speed metal, since Kai is already doing this with Gamma Ray. It is better to have the bands with a different sound. We want to go more into melodic rock."

On the next album:

Mandy: "We are already working on it. Dennis (Ward) already has some songs and I have some ideas. The plan is to enter the studio in autumn 2013 and then in 2014 the new tour. I have not heard Dennis' songs yet, but i think it should not be in the direction of pop songs in my opinion. I think it is better to go in the direction of 'King for a Day' or 'Unisonic'. Originally the song 'Unisonic' was a little bit like an easy created hard rock song, but while we worked on it and Kai added the lyrics, it became a much better song."