ALBUM REVIEW: Towards The Dying Lands – Horizon Ignited
For a genre that only started 30 odd years ago, melodic death metal has gone through a lot. Of course, any genre must evolve in order to keep it alive. However, for Finland’s HORIZON IGNITED, they’re a little late to the party, having only formed in 2017. On the other hand, it’s better late than never. They released their debut album After The Storm in 2019. Despite being entirely self-released, the band quickly saw their hard work pay off as their Spotify account went from zero to nearly a hundred thousand listeners in just a very short time, with their second album Towards The Dying Lands arriving this Friday via the juggernaut that is Nuclear Blast Records.
The first song is called Beyond Your Reach and it kicks things off with a frantic guitar riff before exploding into slow, guttural vocals. As death metal goes, this song is more mid-tempo than the genre’s faster and more frantic fare. There’s also the surprise of the chorus being sung instead of screamed. The contrast could have created a disjointed song; however, despite only being in the industry for five years, HORIZON IGNITED clearly know their stuff.
Servant picks the pace up a bit, becoming more of a stereotypical death metal song. Again, it’s the chorus that surprises everyone as it is sung. This is a clever way of making sure there is something for everyone on the album, regardless of what you like. Accessibility is what this band do great on. Death metal as a genre is a bit like marmite; you either love it or hate it. However, with melodic death metal, there is something for people who like a bit of everything.
Of course, the rulebook had to be ripped up sometime, and for HORIZON IGNITED, they do it on the album’s third and title track. This one swaps the metal vocals for singing, and almost feels like an 80s rock song. It shows that the band are not limiting themselves to one genre. Of course, exploring different genres can be tricky, as you risk alienating your audience. However, on Towards The Dying Lands, it sounds natural. The other side of the coin comes from End Of The Line, which follows on from Towards The Dying Lands. This song is a death metal song through and through. However, the band take the genre change like a duck to water. Throughout the rest of the album, the one thing that stays consistent is the pacing. Despite the songs being either fast-paced or middle-of-the-road, the album flows along nicely, almost as if all the songs sound the same.
Admittedly, not all the album works. For starters, the formula of ‘death metal verses’ and ‘singalong choruses’ can get a little tiresome after a while, as HORIZON IGNITED do fall into the pattern. However, there are outliers, such as Reveries, which wouldn’t sound out of place on a Death Metal Greatest Hits record, or Aching Wings, which is a rock song that even incorporates some vague electronic sounds. Unfortunately, these type of songs are few and far between, which is a shame because the band show that they fit neatly into either genre. The final song, Eventide Of Abysmal Grief reverts back to the melodic death metal sound of their first song. This is a nice full circle moment, which makes the album complete.
Overall, Towards The Dying Lands is definitely a mixed bag of an album. HORIZON IGNITED have some very good ideas, plus some aces up their sleeves. However, their sound becomes a bit formulaic after a while. They do branch out into different territory, but that is a rare thing. The pacing of the album is consistent. On the other hand, there will be people who are put off by the more aggressive songs on the album. However, for those who are willing to give it a chance, there is something for everyone. HORIZON IGNITED clearly have talent; however, by sticking mostly to the formula, they aren’t challenging themselves.
Rating: 6/10
Towards The Dying Land is set for release on July 1st via Nuclear Blast Records.
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