Maybe you shall not care about an albumcover, but it does send out signals about what to expect. I hope you will not judge the contents by the packaging, which is admittedly nicely made, but does not reflect the music on the record. NEW HORIZON is more mature and heavier than the author of these lines thought. “Gate Of The Gods” is filled with Power Metal, which leans a lot towards Speed.
The band is a duo, consisting of singer Erik Grönwall (ex-H.E.A.T) and multi-instrumentalist Jona Tee (H.E.A.T, CROWNE). Tee has written all the songs and also produced. Jona has spiced up the material with several different musicians, who have contributed to the final result. There is a dose of HELLOWEEN all over the record and you may feel a light breath of HAMMERFALL and a couple of other groups, but NEW HORIZON sounds first and foremost like themselves. That may not be possible to say about a debut, but I experience it as if they have found their way at once.
After the intro track, they attack directly with “We Unite”, which takes the listener on a ride at breakneck speed. The chorus makes an unexpected turn, with a slightly lower key and almost like a chanting choir, but lighter and with more warmth. It is different and in grand style. This headbanger piece fits Erik and his explosive stage language like a glove. Here we find a sharp guitarplaying and this incredibly good song has something extra. A carpet of nice, male background vocals is also heard later on the album, in “The End Of All”. Towards the end of that piece, the singer stretches out the tone a bit longer, which sounds great.
I like the frontman’s “Huh!” at the beginning of “Stronger Than Steel”, as well as the heaviness of the bass and the awesome guitar tones. The rhythm pumps on, with the help of a fantastic drumming. The chorus becomes a bit softer, but Grönwall makes a rougher touch on the word “steel”. It is a bit like H.E.A.T goes Heavy, which is a good combination and very cool. Speaking of cool, that is what you can say about the guitarplaying in “Cry For Freedom”, which also contains very fast drumbeats. Erik has an incredibly good voice, not only on this track, but overall. This is nothing new, but I am just as impressed with it and this particular piece is a good example of his skill.
”Call Of The Underground” has a nice, smooth intro and chorus, with a melody in Folk Rock style. During the rest of the song, it is full speed, which seems to be the theme throughout the entire record. In “Stardust”, the music gallops forward at a fast, comfortable tempo. The guitar solo is wonderful, overwhelming and so skilfully made that you are strucked with astonishment. It is followed by beautiful tones from Jona on the keys. Then the song rushes on, so that you lose your breath. I can not help but think of DRAGONFORCE. The final tone from the keyboard seems to sparkle, which is a small but superb detail.
The title track ends the album. It is interesting and captures the listener. Here we find many different things, such as oriental music and a small piece of Thrash. The main melody has something very familiar about it and overall this work feels very influenced by HELLOWEEN, which is perhaps not so strange, as they are a source of inspiration for the songwriter. I listen with fascination to all the ingredients. It is a fantastic song, almost epic.
Grönwall was good in H.E.A.T, but now he has found home. NEW HORIZON fits him perfectly. Here is power and a huge energy, which is delivered at a high speed. The music throws itself forward and manages to stay upright all the way. With full force, it crosses the finish line, after a fantastic race. “Gate Of The Gods” is a very strong debut album. (Anna)
Bewertung:
8,5 / 10
Anzahl der Songs: 10
Spielzeit: 49:40 min
Label: Frontiers Music s.r.l.
Veröffentlichungstermin: 11.03.2022
