ALBUM REVIEW: About Time – Horisont
About Time is the fifth album of Swedish hard rock band HORISONT who pride themselves on bringing classic rock and blues together with all the intricacies of prog, a sound they’ve been perfecting for the last decade. About Time’s main theme is time travel, a logical choice for a band which salutes the great names who built the genre from the ground up.
The album starts with The Hive, delicate notes intertwine with classic guitar riffs quickly warm up any listener. Gentle blues then meet with a nineties style, almost speaking, vocal track which excitedly jumps to a high pitch as the pace picks up. The power found in Axel’s vocals can be compared to that of IRON MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson, whereas the incredibly high notes are reminiscent of THE DARKNESS, pulled together with hints of blues create HORISONT. Two thirds in, a guitar solo takes over the track, careful yet excited riffs pound and jump, taking on a life of their own. After the final notes, there’s a brief pause before the haunting lyric “you can almost hear the screaming from the hive” rings out. Night Line kicks off with a strong drum beat swiftly moving into a thunderous riff, accompanied by strong lyrics. Clean vocals are intertwined with guitars and drums, each giving the other room to breathe and grow within the track. Night Line describes someone’s search for a sexual partner, whose story is all brought together with a catchy chorus which’ll have you singing along after the first listen. The guitar perfectly matches the story line, unearthing the emotions in a similar fashion to THIN LIZZY.
One aspect of HORISONT‘s classic rock style is there is always a familiar and comforting feeling involved with listening to their music, and this is never more true than in the opening bars of Boston Gold. This song is a powerhouse of emotion, partly due to Axel‘s belting vocals, but reinforced by the flourishing notes which carry the same level of passion and energy. This is a song for the dramatic climax in a story, one to be sung in the rain. The album draws to a close on its namesake, About Time, a gentler track to end on. There is a definite focus on every individual note, and its implications within the whole, accompanied by a more soulful vocal line. Towards the end, About Time has a speaking track behind the prominent guitar riff, a step away from the rest of the album, that nicely draws the whole thing to its conclusion.
It’s clear that HORISONT can pair a great vocal line with the perfect guitar riff, no part of About Time feels forced or faked, rather it’s a natural progression from passionate, powerful vocals, to carefully developed guitar lines. They are a great reminder that, whilst music has greatly diversified into every sub-genre imaginable, the original sounds and rhythms of rock and roll are sometimes the best.
Rating: 8/10
About Time is out now via Century Media Records.
Like HORISONT on Facebook.