Swedish retro act Horisont have impressed mightily with their three previous efforts, but it's on Odyssey, their fourth and latest for Rise Above Records, that this five piece have really put it all together. Now with former Church Of Misery guitarist Tom Sutton on board, the band, which also features vocalist Axel Söderberg, guitarist Charlie Van Loo, bassist Magnus Delborg, and drummer Pontus Jordan, have put together a platter of heavy rock that draws on influences such as Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy, Cactus, UFO, Captain Beyond, Wishbone, the early sounds of Scorpions, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest, as well as a bit of classic prog such as Yes, Kansas, and Genesis, yet their own identity is more than noticeable.
It's quite a statement to start off the album with the 10-minute title track, a blistering, adventurous example of twin guitar delights, '70s prog, and hard rock thunder. Axel's vocals soar over the dueling leads of Sutton & Van Loo, and with tricky rhythms and some prog styled keyboards, this is a gem of a song and easily one of the band's best to date. "Break the Limit" is a catchy heavy rock anthem with more than a slight nod to the NWOBHM, while "Blind Leder Blind" tosses out some bluesy boogie swagger to go with Söderberg's high pitched vocal wailing. I'm reminded a bit of the great US band Riot on the hard rocker "Bad News", and the twin guitars of "Light My Way" instantly bring to mind UK legends Wishbone Ash as well as the mighty Thin Lizzy. Those lovely guitars again weave around each other on the moody "The Night Stalker", as well as the mix of folk and proto-metal that is "Flying", the latter a delightful number that sees the guitar duo working some magic together as if they have been paired off for many years. There's something irresistible about the classic metal sounding "Back on the Streets", complete with its hook laden chorus and catchy guitar licks, attributes that also appear on the barnburner "Red Light", a real guitar driven hard rocker that reminds of early '80s Uriah Heep. Bluesy prog rears its head on the lengthy "Timmarna", as images of the classic Swedish act November mixed with the folk/prog of Genesis or Jethro Tull pop up, complete with lush arrangements, floating vocals, and scorching lead guitar work.
With so many great bands coming out of Sweden today, it's sometimes hard to keep track of them all, but make sure that Horisont are on your radar, as their latest Odyssey is bound to be one of 2015's best releases.
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
Track Listing
01 Odyssey
02 Break The Limit
03 Blind Leder Blind
04 Bad News
05 Light My Way
06 The Night Stalker
07 Flying
08 Back On The Streets
09 Beyond The Sun
10 Red Light
11 StÑder Brinner
12 Timmarna