Italy's Bright Horizon's plays music that doesn't fit easily into any of the
pigeonholes we writers use to describe music. In places it seems the band is
appealing to the prog-metal set, yet the underlying instrumentation is symphonic
prog, or neo-progressive rock. Most of the record's short 42 minutes are
song-oriented pieces, and each track is somewhat different from the next. It is
a concept piece apparently describing "the Shinta's spiritual journey from an
oneiric state to a frightened reality". That may or may not mean anything to you
- either way, it's easy to hear the emotion and the heartfelt sincerity in each
song.
So far it sounds like pleasing prog rock - but you might find Gabriele
Toralbo's vocals take some getting used to. His voice has a good timbre and he
displays good range, but the technique and particularly the pitch control cause
the singing to sound strained in patches and may not find universal appeal.
Occasional passages feature male vocals going into an operatic falsetto - which
works surprisingly well. The elegant keyboard lines are prominent in the song
structures and the drums are well played but very prominent in the mix. The
guitar solos are rare but pleasing - and the short bridges in "Les Mystères du
Château Hanté" and "Daybreak" hint at a capability that ought to be exploited
more.
"Daybreak" has the Italians singing a few moments of native-American
chanting, and is generally one of the more pleasing pieces. "Les Mystères du
Château Hanté" is a pleasing 9-minute classically influenced piece split into
four parts that develops and changes constantly, although it ends rather
abruptly. "Abitta Funky" is certainly funky - and the heavily accented Italian
rap is thankfully short.
It's probably a safe bet that as these guys mature into the style they're
developing for themselves, there will be some top-level Italian prog. Bright
Horizon's music sounds rich and full and the band certainly doesn't sound like a
trio, and their song structures are imaginative and show flares of
sophistication and creativity beyond most debut releases. Besides - this first
full-length CD is a self-funded project, and with its endearing quirkiness and
good song structures, it deserves your support.
Track listing:
1. Libertango (2:49)
2. Burning Hope (3:58)
3. Daybreak (6:08)
4. The Shade of the Hill (6:19)
5. Les Mystères du Château hanté (9:16)
(i) Echoes of the Past
(ii) The Path
(iii) Imprinting
(iv) The Answer
6. Illusion Meets Reality (3:21)
7. Abitta Funky (3:17)
8. Discophobia (3:06)
9. Opposite symmetry (4:39)
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